• The return to school is complicated for users of public transport, in particular on lines C and D of the RER where certain trains have been removed.

  • The fault is a shortage of train drivers but also of buses.

    There would thus be a shortage of 1,800 to drive buses and coaches in the region, according to figures from Ile-de-France Mobilités.

  • To deal with this problem linked to an unfavorable social context, the effects of Covid-19 and a declining attractiveness of professions, transport operators in the Ile-de-France region announce that they want to work twice as hard to recruit this precious workforce. .

It's the bad surprise of the new school year.

RER C and RER D travelers remained at the platform at the end of August due to a shortage of drivers.

“Regarding the RER C, there are 19 trains removed out of approximately 600 daily.

This is 4% of the transport offer and 1% of passengers on the line”, indicates Transilien SNCF.

For the RER D, the SUD-Rail union advances the figure of 28 trains removed per day, not confirmed by Transilien.

“We asked that the deletions affect travelers as little as possible,” says Grégoire de Lasteyrie, vice-president of Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the organizing authority for transport in the region.

According to Transilien, for line D, these difficulties are linked to organizational problems, in particular linked to summer holidays and the return to normal should take a fortnight.

On the other hand for the RER C, it will be longer, probably until the end of September, due to more structural problems of labor shortage.

This management is complicated by the fact that a driver of an RER line cannot make a replacement at short notice on another line, due to the specificities of these same lines.

Hemorrhage at the SNCF?

In addition to the problems of absenteeism linked to the coronavirus, Transilien explains these difficulties by the “current economic and social context”.

“We are experiencing, like many companies at the moment, recruitment difficulties, indicates the transport operator.

The health, economic and social crisis linked to Covid-19 has slowed down the recruitment and training of our agents over the past two years”, knowing that the training of a driver lasts one year.

Fabien Villedieu, train driver and SUD-Rail representative, advances other factors to explain this situation.

“In 2021, we had a performance plan to generate profits, but we did not recruit and we are seeing the consequences today, he denounces.

Then, with the end of railway worker status,

it is a lever of attractiveness that has disappeared and there is a lot of turnover at the SNCF due to the catastrophic social situation.

According to the 2011-2021 social report, we have gone from 1,000 departures of railway workers per year to 3,000.

The trade unions have also planned to meet on September 1 to discuss the situation.

Whatever the causes of this shortage, Transilien wants to pull out all the stops to recruit and achieve its “objective of 600 recruitments, in particular 200 train and tram-train drivers and 150 station service agents” for 2022. In order to To achieve this, it launches various actions: “job dating, communication campaign, job offer via town halls, presentation of jobs in schools, etc.

However, this activism will not save Transilien from financial penalties.

“It is not acceptable in our eyes, explains Grégoire de Lasteyrie.

We pay for a service and when the service is not rendered, we do not pay for it.

Depending on the level of transport provided, there are penalties that reduce the funds that IDFM pays to operators.

»

Nearly 2,000 bus drivers are missing

Unfortunately, it's not just train drivers who are scarce, bus drivers are also missing.

“There is a shortage of around 1,800 bus drivers out of a total workforce of 30,000 people, continues the vice-president.

More generally, the service sectors are struggling to recruit, as we have seen in the hotel and catering industry.

These professions have constraints, in particular schedules, and are less attractive.

» An observation shared by Transdev which operates on behalf of IDFM nearly half of the bus lines in the outer suburbs.

“To restore the attractiveness of the profession, we are relying on our “Destination 500 jobs” campaign with one of the displays, vehicles intended for employment and training”, lists Pierre Talgorn, regional director Ile-de-France.

Transdev has also launched its Academy to train its drivers.

"The course is sanctioned by a diploma which allows access to the profession of driver and we plan to train 200 per year", describes Pierre Talgorn.

The RATP, which wants to hire just over 700 drivers by the end of the year, is also banking on training by offering to take charge of obtaining the D license, which allows you to drive transport vehicles.

“The D permit, if you pass it at your expense, is 8,000 euros, says Grégoire de Lasteyrie.

So obtaining it via training from one of our operators is a plus on a CV!

»

Cooperation and QR Code

As all means are good for recruiting, Transdev has also set up a co-option system with a sponsorship bonus for its employees who would attract recruits.

“We have also simplified our recruitment processes,” explains the regional director.

No need for a CV or cover letter.

Just flash a QR Code and follow the procedure.

Finally, the RATP announces “that at least 600 places are offered in 2022 via the work-study route for the position of bus drivers”.

For its part, the region has set up the young active income reserved for 18-25 year olds which pays around “4,000 euros over six months for a young person who decides to train in a job in tension and transport jobs are part of it. .

It's the anti RSA,” boasts Grégoire de Lasteyrie.

Despite this lack of manpower, Transdev ensures "cover all services for the start of the school year".

For its part, the RATP recognizes “some operating difficulties on certain bus lines” but promises that “from now on, the transport offer has improved”.

On the side of the organizing authority, we remain vigilant.

“We are asking operators to continue their recruitment efforts and that the circuits serving schools are not those that will be impacted in the event of a reduction in service”, indicates Grégoire de Lasteyrie.

So no excuses for missing the start of the school year.

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  • Transilien

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