Olympic Games-From the Games to everyday life: Milan's tram driver shortage

Stefano De Blasio, a Milan tram driver, was thrilled to see Italian motorcycling champ Valentino Rossi wearing his uniform and ferrying President Sergio Mattarella from Milan's San Siro stadium to the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

De Blasio said, "It gave us a feeling of satisfaction and value for the work that we do every day." He was sitting in the wooden seats of an old tram at the city depot, where the streetcars of the network begin and finish their daily trips. Mattarella, the Italian financial capital's symbol, is carried in one of Milan’s 125 historic Carrelli Trams.

Between 2006 and 2019, local transport company ATM overhauled the rattling vehicles, which have been in service since late 1930s. They restored their original yellow and cream livery, and upgraded their mechanical systems.

It may be easier to revamp them than to address the driver shortage in the city's bus and tram networks, a problem that ATM, which is owned by the city, faces along with other local transport operators across Europe.

One issue is the?rising costs of living in Milan following a real estate bubble, as well as the growing competition among e-commerce delivery companies for drivers.

A survey conducted by Eurocities - a network of more than 200 European cities, including Milan - revealed that public transport was struggling with a shortage of staff. 35% of the mayors surveyed reported this as a major problem, which is disrupting service and driving up costs.

AMOUNTS OFFERED TO ATTRACT DRIVERS

Entry-level wages for bus and tram drivers in Milan are around 1,500 euros ($1,780). Shifts of 6 and a 1/2 hours are required to ensure that services run for the entire?day.

ATM, who had to cut back on some bus and tram service, has taken a variety of measures to fill the gap. These include paying for the required public transport licenses, offering initial rent assistance for new hires, and providing a monthly bonus to drivers.

The company has also started a project for 150 apartments to be built on the former site of an old company depot in Milan.

The company stated that the initiatives allowed it to employ 607 people by 2025. This reversed the trend of leaving employees and hiring new ones at the end last year.

Franco Fusca is a local?official for the FIT-Cisl Union. He says ATM is still facing a driver shortage of up to 300. ATM employs approximately 4,000 drivers.

According to Nicola Biscotti of the Italian transport association ANAV, there is a shortage of around 8,000-9,000 drivers in Italy.

Gabriele Grea is a researcher at Bocconi University in Milan, and a lecturer on?urban mobility' management. She said that the trend has gotten worse since the pandemic.

Grea stated that the salary of a public transportation driver was not always competitive, despite it being a job that requires a lot of time and is one of the most stressful.

"Companies now try everything." "But the reality is that this is a difficult job to sell," said he.

WATCHING CITY CHANGE

De Blasio began his career as a?tram driver at ATM around a decade back. He has seen the city change from his taxi, and the emergence of new mobility options, such as e-bikes and scooters, which require greater attention.

In the video that was shown at the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony, Mattarella can be seen giving back a "soft toy" to a child after they dropped it in a tram.

De Blasio remembered a similar experience from his own life. He spotted the phone between the rails of a train while stopped at a traffic signal.

He stopped, picked up the bag and returned it to the owner. Later, he learned that this person was a well-known anti-mafia activist.

"He appreciated my little gesture. He sent me a thank you letter and also sent it to the company. "I was incredibly proud of myself," he said.

(source: Reuters)