The contact with passengers is sometimes very unpleasant (basically in every bigger city there is a neighbourhood where drivers don't like to serve, given the r

The contact with passengers is sometimes very unpleasant (basically in every bigger city there is a neighbourhood where drivers don't like to serve, given the risk of being robbed or at least spat and cursed upon)... Consistent getting up at 4 AM would be probably better than the irregular shifts that are the norm. You get up at 4 AM three days in a row, then you only have duties in the afternoon, because someone fell ill etc. Driver shortage problem is pretty much across Europe, with poorer countries and cities being somewhat, but not crushingly worse off. I sort-of doubt that there is some low-hanging fruit waiting to be picked. This is a highly diverse market, with thousands of public and private sphere organizations competing for workforce across the entire EU, and having quite a lot of latitude to provide better conditions. Still, the average age of an extant bus driver is slowly creeping into the late 50s and early 60s. The disinterest of the younger generation in a driving career is palpable.