Driver Fatigue and Route Cancellations: German Bus Operators Face Growing Safety and Staffing Crisis
16.06.2026 - 22:51:38 | boerse-global.de
A string of bus accidents on Monday, including a collision at Frankfurt Airport that left four people injured, has refocused attention on the grueling schedules endured by Germany’s bus drivers. In Karlsruhe, a 73-year-old driver ran a red light and struck a cyclist; in the Czech Republic, a coach from Linz hit a railway bridge after its driver ignored signage, injuring four passengers. Police investigations into each incident are ongoing.
Behind these crashes lies a workforce under chronic strain. Data from the DGB’s "Gute Arbeit 2025" survey, presented Monday by Dr. Elke Ahlers of the Institute for Economic and Social Sciences (WSI), show that 43% of bus drivers regularly put in more than eight hours a day. One in three cannot switch off after their shift ends. The result, Ahlers warned, is a sharply elevated risk of burnout and accidents. She insisted that the statutory daily maximum working hours must stay in place to protect drivers’ health.
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The survey also found a generational nuance: employees aged 55 to 64 are more willing to work longer hours, but only if they are granted greater control over their individual schedules.
The strain is already translating into service disruptions. In Stuttgart, twelve trips on line 707 were cancelled Monday due to personnel shortages. In Osnabrück, MetroBus lines M1 through M5 saw reduced frequency after the workforce held a collective meeting. Meanwhile, the Verdi union warned that around 200 drivers employed by the SWEG transport company in Wiesloch, Weil am Rhein and Offenburg face possible layoffs. Verdi is demanding a collective redundancy plan; SWEG has said it will pursue socially responsible solutions.
Health experts also caution that drivers themselves may underestimate their own vulnerability. A Sanitas study — "Health Forecast" — released Monday surveyed 2,500 people and found that only 16% considered themselves at risk for Type 2 diabetes and just 13% for dementia, even though actual lifetime probabilities are significantly higher. In high-responsibility jobs like bus driving, the authors noted, a realistic self-assessment is critical — both for the drivers and for the passengers and pedestrians who depend on their alertness.
