Defects in student buses: Dangerous conditions in Bad König and Michelstadt!

Defects in student buses: Dangerous conditions in Bad König and Michelstadt!

Michelstadt, Deutschland - The controls of the regular buses in Hesse once again pointed out serious security deficiencies. On June 16, 2025, the Odenwald police department carried out comprehensive checks in Bad König and Michelstadt in cooperation with the Odenwald Regional Society MBH (OREG). With a total of 16 controlled buses, several defects caught eye.

in Bad König, where school traffic was checked at the Carl Weyprecht School, there were both positive and concern of exciting results. Of the eight controlled buses, five were without complaint. However, a bus with an expired first aid material was noticed, which was no longer valid since October 2023. In addition, a bus was stopped without a warning triangle, and a driver could only electronically detect his professional driver qualification. The police nevertheless drew a positive conclusion because the defects were relatively low.

serious defects in Michelstadt

The situation in Michelstadt looked slightly different, where eight buses were also checked. Here, three buses with damage to the windshield, such as stone chips and cracks, were found. The affected bus companies were set a deadline to remedy these defects. The misconduct of a driver who was found without a driver's license and proof of the professional driver qualification was also worrying. A bus with heavily worn tires, the carcass of which was visible. The police prohibited the onward journey of this vehicle, which is why the passengers had to switch to replacement lines to continue their journey.

lack of driving in the industry

The problems could further tighten, because the bus industry is faced with a dramatic lack of drivers. According to the top associations of the German bus and road goods transport industry, the Federal Association of German Omnibus companies (BDO) and the Federal Association of Gutkraftverkehr Logistics and Disposal (BGL), over 5,000 bus drivers are currently missing. Every year there are over 10,000 vacancies, with the forecast for 76,000 bus drivers for 2030: Inside, which are urgently needed to ensure basic care in local public transport and in school returns. This situation is also accompanied by a lack of workers in road freight transport, where over 80,000 truck drivers: missing inside.

The situation is not just a question of young people. A high proportion of bus drivers is already over 55 years old, so that 4,000 to 6,000 retire annually. The lack of young drivers is also reinforced by high training costs of up to 12,000 euros and unattractive working conditions. Many bus drivers work over 220 hours a month to achieve an average salary of 3,200 euros gross. This situation endangers not only the turnaround in traffic, but also the climate goals.

In order to fight against this constant lack of driver, rapid reforms are necessary. According to BDO and BGL, the demands for measures, such as the integration of the professional driver qualification into driving training or the approval of relevant foreign languages ​​in the exams. Against this background, politicians require urgent support in order not only to fix the current defects, but also to develop long -term solutions.

The last controls once again show that it is time to rethink and act as a time to act in the industry. A safe and reliable local transport infrastructure is not only desirable for our society, but essential. Otherwise it could soon be: "Stop, this bus doesn't go anymore!"

Further information on the recent controls and the situation in public transport are in the reports of , trans.info and tagesschau.de to be found.