After a bus driver on the Olimp route collapsed at the wheel, Dr. Jasmina Radojlović and Srđan Tošić warn of systemic issues: excessive working hours, low pay, and neglected health of professional drivers.
The incident in which a bus driver on the Olimp route collapsed at the wheel and subsequently fell into a coma has raised a number of questions about the working conditions of professional drivers. The driver managed to stop the bus in time, which was crucial in preventing a tragedy, and his life was fought for by people at the scene for about an hour. Although the quick reaction of a doctor who happened to be among the passengers prevented the worst, the guests of the show "Redakcija" on Kurir Television warn that such situations are not isolated cases but rather a consequence of deeply rooted problems in the system.
Dr. Jasmina Radojlović, a professor of preventive medicine and public health, emphasized that the driver was extremely lucky that a fellow doctor was on the bus. "First, I must say that this patient, that is, this driver, was lucky because a fellow doctor was on the bus and reacted in time. But that must not happen," warned Radojlović.
According to her assessment, the driver had untreated or unregulated hypertension, and extreme high temperatures were an additional risk factor. "Temperatures above 35 degrees are absolutely not adequate for our health and organism. Our organism is not adapted to such high temperatures, even in healthy individuals, and especially in those with untreated or unregulated hypertension," explained the professor. She added that extreme heat first affects the heart and blood vessels, but also the brain, which is why, combined with unregulated blood pressure, it led to the collapse.
Radojlović also stressed the importance of timely reaction in emergencies: "In an urgent situation when a person collapses, first check if there is a healthcare worker among those present. If the person is breathing, give them water, raise their legs, or place them on their side to prevent choking, and then call emergency services as soon as possible." She also warned that people often ignore the symptoms their body sends, especially during heatwaves. "We must monitor our body and pay attention to the symptoms it sends us. This is especially important for chronic patients, who must regularly take their prescribed therapy and monitor their health condition. Therapy should not be changed on one's own, but only in consultation with a doctor," said the professor.
Srđan Tošić, acting president of the Truck Drivers' Association "381", pointed to a key problem: drivers do not spend only time behind the wheel at work. "Fatigue is one of the most important factors in driving. The law says 9 or 10 hours of driving, but you also have many other activities. One of the basic things is that drivers have one of the longest working hours. So the working hours of a truck or bus driver are effectively 14, 15 hours," said Tošić.
Additional pressure is created by hours of waiting at borders. "Imagine a driver waiting at the border for 6 or 7 hours, and you have his destination, his deadline to arrive and deliver those passengers. What pressure is on that driver then? He has to drive despite being tired," warned Tošić. He also pointed out that carriers often save on routes where two or three drivers should be alternating. He also emphasized that in our mentality it is still taboo to openly talk about illness or problems, and that medical examinations for professional drivers should be more frequent and thorough, because "it is not enough just to have a paper."
Speaking about tachographs, Tošić explained that even the most modern devices cannot measure the amount of fatigue. "There is no measuring instrument that can measure the amount of fatigue. As for tachographs, there are very modern devices, including second-generation smart tachographs, which most buses and trucks are equipped with. They can be read and remotely controlled, but manipulations still exist," he said.
Tošić also revealed alarming data on the earnings of professional drivers. "It is an open secret that 90 percent of drivers work for minimum wage. Many are not even paid for annual leave and everything they are entitled to by law, but earnings are tied to a percentage, the number of passengers transported, or the number of tours," he said. Because of this, drivers often neglect health problems, because on sick leave they receive only 80 percent of the minimum wage.
"What happens when a driver goes on sick leave and gets 80 percent of the minimum wage? Can you live on that? Because of this, people often neglect health problems and go on the road," added Tošić. He emphasized that the solution is not only in inspection supervision, but the entire system must be involved. "Find me someone who has 15 hours of working time in any job," he said.
Tošić, who has been in this profession for more than 20 years, witnesses a dramatic decline in interest among young people. "When I started doing this job 20 years ago, there was interest from young people. Out of ten people who would start working, five would stay and survive, and over time they would become good professionals," he recalled. Today, he says, the situation is completely different: "Now, out of ten active drivers, eight are already thinking about retraining and changing jobs."
Extending the age limit for drivers is seen as a bad solution. "We must ask ourselves whether people aged 70 and over are psychophysically capable of working at this pace. I understand that someone can drive a lighter tour of three or four hours, but that someone aged 70 or over sets off alone for Greece with a bus full of passengers, I would not agree with that," concluded Tošić.
The acting president of the Truck Drivers' Association "381" believes that the problem of passenger safety cannot be reduced solely to the responsibility of the driver. "First, we must interest young people in this job, and how will we interest them? By stopping creating the image that, when something happens, the driver is always to blame," he said.
