26.06.2023 - Article

This study focuses on the impact of Covid-19 on the working conditions and health of bus drivers in Switzerland.

We know that during the Covid-19 crisis, bus drivers were particularly at risk of contracting the virus. However, there is still a significant lack of information on the relationship between this risk and working conditions. This is why we chose to focus on this population. The study uses the same questionnaire as previous research, which allows for a direct link to other data from the questionnaire, particularly regarding working conditions.

Most studies on Covid-19 have focused on the risks of infection and associated factors for the general population or clearly at-risk subgroups (e.g. patients with comorbidities, older people). However, few studies have examined the impact of the health crisis on working conditions. During the crisis, it was more urgent to understand the risks of infection than to assess the effects of the crisis itself on working conditions.

The aim is to determine how the Covid-19 crisis has affected the working conditions of bus drivers in Switzerland since the start of the pandemic.

We took advantage of the fact that we had already conducted an online survey in partnership with the trade unions to add specific questions about Covid-19. This was part of a broader survey examining the health of bus drivers.

Bus drivers faced a deterioration in their working conditions, such as an accumulation of overtime, longer working days and having to cover for colleagues at the last minute. They also reported that their health had deteriorated due to these poor working conditions. Although companies have taken measures to manage the crisis, drivers have expressed dissatisfaction with how their employers have handled the crisis. When asked to rate companies on a scale of 1 to 6, similar to the Swiss school grading system, the average score was barely 4.

Due to staff shortages in public transport during the pandemic, working conditions are deteriorating and this is affecting employees’ health. It is crucial that companies and political bodies in general are better prepared to deal with such crises in the future.

The study’s strengths lie in the fact that we collected responses from across Switzerland, enabling us to compare different regions of the country. The subjective questions really helped us understand how people felt the impact of the crisis. However, one limitation is the lack of objective comparative data on their working conditions before and during the crisis, which would have allowed for more in-depth analysis. As it stands, the study remains descriptive; we cannot be certain that these conclusions are shared by all bus drivers in Switzerland.

This study has helped to reveal the impacts associated with the pandemic in the bus transport sector.

We will not be continuing our research on Covid-19, as we sincerely hope that the worst is behind us. The next logical step is to continue studying this population to better understand their working conditions and how these may affect their well-being, health and overall quality of life. Setting up a cohort study, which would follow the same bus drivers over several years, would allow us to be more responsive in the event of new, unexpected issues. We would have historical data on the individuals and could compare it with up-to-date data to identify changes and understand their causes, and even to encourage changes that promote the health and job satisfaction of bus drivers.