At the beginning of December, the Serbian government adopted a draft law amending the Road Traffic Safety Law, presented as a solution to Serbia’s pressing problem—the growing shortage of professional drivers. However, as Goran Aleksić from the Road Transport Association “Srbijatransport” explained in an interview with NIN, the situation is far from resolved.
For years, the transport industry in Serbia has been highlighting the issue of a lack of professional drivers. This problem became apparent to the public when foreign nationals began driving Belgrade’s GSP buses. In early October, transport companies called for the exclusion of professional drivers from the EES system, which involves electronic tracking of entry and exit in EU countries, Switzerland, and Norway. They argued that the EES system would adversely affect drivers engaged in international freight transport, noting that they already face challenges related to exceeding the allowable number of stay days.
“The shortage of professional drivers in road transport has been ongoing, and the introduction of this EES system will exacerbate the problem. Within four to six months, there will almost be no drivers available to transport goods, effectively halting road freight transport,” warned the Serbian Freight Transport Association “Međunarodni transport” at the time.
The issue appeared to reach its peak in late October, during a one-hour protest at the Batrovci border crossing, where Serbian drivers blocked other trucks from reaching customs. Representatives of the Serbian Drivers’ Union, fresh from a meeting with government officials, stated that no concrete results had been achieved yet. However, they were assured of the government’s willingness to address and resolve their concerns.
What steps have been taken?
According to a government statement, the proposed changes aim to simplify the procedure for obtaining certificates of professional competence, practical training, and practical examinations in response to the immense pressure from the transport community due to the driver shortage.
It was also stated that these regulations would allow drivers transporting goods and passengers within Serbia to continue working without the need for new documents. Meanwhile, drivers involved in international freight and passenger transport would be required to apply for a new driving licence with an international “95” code valid for a maximum of seven years from the date of issuance.
In an interview with NIN, Aleksić emphasized that Serbia must make significant efforts to provide better conditions for professional drivers. He explained that the proposed amendments effectively extend the validity of the qualification card (CPC certificate) from five to seven years. According to the Road Traffic Safety Agency, 82,303 professional drivers in Serbia will see their five-year qualification cards expire in 2024. While Aleksić welcomed this change, he stressed that education is the primary and most critical step in increasing the workforce in transport.
The numbers don’t look promising
Aleksić noted that becoming a professional driver requires not only obtaining a C or D category licence but also further professional training and passing the qualification card test. However, many people abandon this effort, citing high costs as the main obstacle. Aleksić argued that the government must provide subsidised training for professional drivers.
“Being a professional driver is a way of life. In this regard, education is crucial, as it is for everything in life. Serbia currently lacks more than 30,000 drivers for passenger and freight transport. Another major issue affecting road safety is the lack of a selection process. Additionally, rising employer costs, declining service quality, exploitation, and blackmail by some drivers are also prevalent,” Aleksić stated.
According to his data, seen by NIN, Serbia has issued 180,000 qualification cards for professional truck and bus drivers. Of these, 41,268 hold both C and D categories, and 35,000 to 40,000 are taxi drivers. It is estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 individuals have obtained certificates but do not work as drivers, while around 20,000 to 25,000 drivers work in the EU for foreign companies. Overall, it is estimated that 100,000 to 120,000 professional drivers are currently employed in Serbia. On the other hand, Aleksić pointed out that a significant number of foreign drivers, primarily from Asian countries, also work in Serbia.
“While I believe investment in them is necessary, as they are needed, questions arise about their training, adaptation to our society, and language learning. It’s the familiar story of a driver from Sri Lanka seeing snow in Belgrade for the first time. Another issue is the age structure of professional drivers in Serbia. Over 35% of drivers in Serbia are over 55, a higher percentage than in the EU, while only 16,000 are under 30. Many young people enrol in motor vehicle driving courses in vocational schools but eventually choose other professions. While the number of schools offering these courses has increased recently, it’s essential for these young people to actually become professional drivers,” Aleksić explained.
He also mentioned that some instructors at driving schools and training centres lack sufficient competence, bringing the discussion back to the need for proper selection. He further noted that, in his opinion, Serbia’s military does an excellent job training good drivers.
What is required to improve the situation?
Aleksić states that from 2020 to the end of 2024, a total of 2,154 drivers were trained through CPC training centres, and 2,711 were trained through vocational schools, meaning that Serbia has issued a total of 4,865 new qualification cards in five years. He points out that the expectations for that period were set at 26,000 new professional drivers, but less than 5,000 drivers entered the system, which underscores the current problem. He believes that mechanisms to ensure an adequate quantity of candidates and the quality of training must be created as soon as possible, along with affordable conditions, particularly economic, for entering the profession.
“The working conditions for CPC training centres must be regulated to improve the education system, ensure a mandatory number of permanently employed staff, and reduce the operational costs of CPC centres. Additionally, licence holders must be instructors who are accountable for their licences. This is crucial for raising the quality of training and providing a personal approach from skilled instructors who bring value to drivers. Furthermore, the working conditions for driving schools should be improved, initial CPC training for professional drivers—particularly candidates under 30 years old—should be subsidised, and those individuals should be provided with free health insurance and specific tax reliefs to encourage driver employment,” Aleksić suggests.
He adds that if these practices, and others, are implemented immediately, results could be achieved in the long term, within the next five to ten years.
Aleksić concludes that there have been positive developments in recent years, such as encouraging more women to enter the profession. He welcomes this and notes that women are much more responsible and, from the employers’ perspective, more reliable as they do not frequently change companies. However, he emphasises that much more needs to be done and points out that this issue is not only Serbian but also global.
He describes the current situation as highly problematic and warns that, considering the age structure and mentioned trends in Serbia, it will only worsen.
“We are no longer just talking about not having enough drivers for city buses; we are talking about not having anyone to deliver milk to stores in the morning.”
(NIN, 10.01.2025)
https://www.nin.rs/drustvo/vesti/64954/problem-nedostatka-profesionalnih-vozaca-u-srbiji
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Publish date : 2025-01-10 11:08:00
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