Labor shortages hamper public transportation systems

The labor shortages across the country have affected the public transportation systems in many cities. The public transportation system in Houston is offering bonuses of $4,000 for new bus drivers. The bonus is $8,000 for mechanics. In St. Louis, the bus service has been cut down by more than 10 percent. Transportation officials in New York are trying to lure retired subway operators back to their old jobs. 

There arent enough workers to keep the transportation systems running. Most big cities' transportation systems have been hit by labor shortages, disrupting one of the most critical support systems of modern urban life. It has also complicated the recovery of an industry that has already struggled mightily in the pandemic. This is now raising new challenges for many cities which are already battered by the pandemic. 

Taulby Roach, president of Bi-State Development says, I would characterize us in the midst of a labor crisis. There’s no question." Bi-State Development is the non-profit that St. Louis’s public transportation system. Taulby says that the system is short of about 150 positions out of about 1,400 to 1,500 front-line employees, a total of about 10 percent. This is another sign of how deep the disruption to the labor market remains, even two years into the pandemic. 

Source: The Washington Post