The Association of Public Passenger Transport Organisations (Sodem) is calling for a drop in the age limit for drivers from 21 to 18 to plug a shortage of professional bus drivers amid increased needs, it said on Friday.

Government efforts to get more cars off the road and its attempts to improve the bus system has led to a shortage in the sector that Sodem believes can be filled by properly qualified younger drivers.

In a letter sent to MPs and the Cypriot MEPs, the association, which represents all public passenger transport contracting organisations, proposes that people 18 and over who have secured the necessary licences and training, be allowed to drive buses on routes shorter than 50 kilometres based on the European Directive.

“In an effort to avoid escalating the problem, it is of utmost importance to allow public passenger transport organisations to attract and employ young people who are entering vocational training for their integration into the bus driver profession,” the letter said.

This would allow the sector to attract more drivers and increase efficiency, better connecting urban areas with suburban and rural areas.

It added that, at present, public passenger transport organisations in the European Union benefit from the possibility of people aged 21 and over driving on lines shorter than 50 kilometres, with an accelerated Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and that extending this provision to longer lines of over 50 kilometres was a logical step forward.  

It highlighted that public passenger transport organisations were taking advantage of the current possibility for member states to lower this age to 18 years on lines shorter than 50 km in order to recruit young people and train them through an apprenticeship scheme to become bus drivers.

“This provision is very important as it allows the attraction of young people entering professional life,” the letter said.

“We strongly support the choice of member states to gradually allow 18-year-olds who hold a full driving licence, to drive on lines shorter than 50 km,” it added.

It asked that the six Cypriot MEPs to support this position during negotiations in the European Union and in the European Parliament.

According to the directive each member state may allow drivers of vehicles in driving licence categories Dl and Dl + E to drive such vehicles in its territory from the age of 18, instead of from the age of 21 provided that they hold a CPC.