Filenews 14 July 2024 - by Adamos Adamou
The needs of businesses in labour are now also met by foreign personnel, but this solution for the needs of professional drivers or even ordinary drivers is difficult or even prohibitive, as the business world claims.
This maintains the possibility that certain companies that maintain a large fleet of vehicles for their needs are at risk of running out... not from fuel, but from drivers.
The problem, as "F" is informed, concerns both the lack of professional drivers and the simple driving licenses of foreign personnel working mainly in the courier industry.
The issue has long been raised by OEB in the competent ministries, but there have been no corrective interventions, resulting in the problem being magnified and causing other problems in turn.
Indicatively, we record the continuous effort of public transport to find bus drivers, which is made difficult since bus drivers, as holders of professional licenses, resort to other companies with the needs of professional drivers, often with a better salary and of course five days.
As OEB explains in a letter from the General Secretary of the Federation Michalis Antoniou on the issue, to the Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeadis, the lack of professional drivers is a pan-European phenomenon, which is why affected businesses are forced to seek solutions from countries not members of the European Union.
It adds, however, that the requirements and procedures for employing professional drivers from third countries are such that they effectively prohibit businesses from employing them.
The businesses that, as he also explains, are negatively affected and suffer greatly from the lack of professional drivers, are businesses whose activities are passenger transport, such as buses, those active in the transport of products (logistics), but also companies that have large fleets of vehicles for transporting their own products (eg concrete, asphalt, fuel, flour, etc.).
The delay and Greek
Deepening further on the issue, OEB defends its position that the existing procedures for employing professional drivers exclude candidates from third countries, giving specific arguments.
As he explains, the exams for professional license are held only twice a year and only in Greek or Turkish. Therefore, it is proven that the whole process can take up to two years and that is why according to OEB it is imperative to find a solution to the problem.
A solution that, according to the Federation, could have been for the examination process to take place every month, but also in addition to the Greek language, to be done in English. "Due to the seriousness of the issue and the suffocating needs for professional drivers, I ask you to arrange a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the issue", concludes the General Secretary of OEB in the letter sent to the Minister of Transport, from whom the Federation has other requests related to drivers, but this time not professionals.
Headache and international license
Specifically, in another letter to the Minister of Transport, OEB also refers to a problem created by businesses regarding driving licenses for foreigners.
As noted in the letter, businesses operating in the transport and courier sector face a serious problem of finding a workforce from Cyprus or from European Union member states, resulting in the more smooth operation of their work being forced to employ people from third countries.
OEB clarifies that before businesses proceed with the submission of an application to the Ministry of Labour for the employment of foreigners, they make sure that the persons they will employ hold an international driving license, which is also recognized in the Republic of Cyprus.
However, as OEB explains, persons holding the International Driving License, according to the law, can use it in Cyprus only for the first six months of their stay and then must apply for a Cyprus driving license.
"In the interval between the day they are entitled to apply to the Department of Road Transport for a driving licence until an examination date is set, there is a gap in which these persons cannot practice the profession for which their employment permit was obtained," it added.
In addition to the above, as argued by the General Director of OEB, Michalis Antoniou, it is unclear from the TFT whether persons holding an international driving license are entitled to use it for the purposes of carrying out their work. In order to address the above issues and in order not to cause disruption to the market, OEB recommends that people with an international license who come to work for drivers should be included in a separate procedure so that their applications can be examined more quickly and immediately.
Specifically, it is suggested that people who come to the Republic and obtain an employment permit as drivers, and after submitting to the TFT all the necessary documents from the Civil Registry and Migration Department from the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance and an Employment Contract from their employer describing their work as drivers, are given the opportunity to issue a driving license within a short time frame.
On the issue, however, as we are informed, there is a meeting between the leadership of OEB and the Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeadis on the 22nd of the month, so it is not excluded that there will be developments soon.
The shortage of drivers also affects tourism
The Association of Small Tourist Coaches, which belongs to the CCCI force, recently rang a bell about the lack of professional drivers.
The Association of Small Tourist Coaches, with its recent intervention, has set among its immediate priorities the qualitative upgrade of the services offered in the tourist industry of our country and especially in the field of public transportation.
He added, however, that the shortage of professional bus drivers is a very serious problem and the Association calls on both the state and the Parliament to proceed with immediate actions to find a solution to this problem, so that the transport sector can function properly.
In the same announcement, the Association also expressed its anxiety and reaction to the transit of taxis and small tourist buses coming from the occupied areas, also asking for the phenomenon to be tackled, as it directly and to a huge extent affects the members of the Association.
The shortage of drivers also affects tourism
The Association of Small Tourist Coaches, which belongs to the CCCI force, recently rang a bell about the lack of professional drivers.
The Association of Small Tourist Coaches, with its recent intervention, has set among its immediate priorities the qualitative upgrade of the services offered in the tourist industry of our country and especially in the field of public transportation.
He added, however, that the shortage of professional bus drivers is a very serious problem and the Association calls on both the state and the Parliament to proceed with immediate actions to find a solution to this problem, so that the transport sector can function properly.
In the same announcement, the Association also expressed its anxiety and reaction to the transit of taxis and small tourist buses coming from the occupied areas, also asking for the phenomenon to be tackled, as it directly and to a huge extent affects the members of the Association.
