Rail, Tram and Bus Union to meet with Transport Minister Michael Ferguson about bus cancellations

The transport union will hold a “crisis meeting” with a key government figure in a bid to solve crippling labour shortages within Metro Tasmania.

UNION REP: RBTU state secretary Ric Bean. Picture: Kenji Sato

The transport union will hold a “crisis meeting” with Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson this week in a bid to solve labour shortages within Metro Tasmania that have led to the cancellation of hundreds of bus services.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) Tasmanian branch secretary Ric Bean said the “root cause” of the problem was Metro’s “inability to provide decent working conditions and a safe workplace for bus drivers”.

“We’re pleased that the Deputy Premier has responded to our request for a crisis meeting, as the situation with cancellations is having a major impact on Tasmanians who rely on bus services,” he said.

UNION REP: RBTU state secretary Ric Bean. Picture: Kenji Sato

“Over the past two weeks we have seen around 100 services cancelled on a daily basis.

“This is affecting the ability of schoolchildren to get to and from school, it’s affecting people’s ability to get to work, and it’s deterring people from socialising or going to the shops.”

The union boss said the cancellations were also resulting in more people using their cars, which he said was “adding to growing traffic congestion – especially in Hobart”.

Metro CEO Katie Cooper has previously acknowledged the acute lack of drivers, saying service cancellations were expected to continue in the coming weeks.

“There is a very, very tight labour market at the moment and it’s very challenging having people competing for the same talent that’s available in the marketplace,” she has said.

“So we are actively working in that space and have been for a number of months.”

Metro is working to prioritise school bus services to minimise disruptions for kids.

Labor has called on the state government to employ transit officers and install safety screens on buses to protect passengers and drivers, believing such measures would make the profession a more attractive one.

Michael Ferguson MP.

All Metro services were running as scheduled on Sunday.

Mr Ferguson said every transport business was struggling to find drivers and there were “no simple solutions”.

“The [RTBU] endorsed the Liberal government’s public transport policies at the last election, which we are now busy implementing,” he said.

“The service challenges faced by Metro are not unique to Metro nor Tasmania and the government is open to all ideas and suggestions and I will be discussing these with the RTBU at the upcoming meeting.

“In the meantime I have asked Metro to work with my department and police to ensure every effort is made to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.”

Originally published as Rail, Tram and Bus Union to meet with Transport Minister Michael Ferguson about bus cancellations