This is a Crisis: What in the Wide World of Mobility is Happening Out There?

 

By Cindy Campbell

We hear about labor shortages on an almost daily basis. The Great Resignation, the Great Renegotiation, the Great Reshuffle, the Great Rethink…whatever you want to call it, the parking and transportation industry is feeling the effects. Most of the organizations I speak with are experiencing significant staffing shortages, recruitment, and retention challenges. There are a number of reasons this is happening, but I’d like to focus on the concern I hear voiced most often by our frontline – the increased encounters with public aggression, intolerance and even violence.

What in the wide world of mobility is happening out there?

I’ve posted before about the unrestrained anger and aggression our frontline team members have been confronting in recent years. Not a new concept for parking and transportation professionals, yet definitely on the rise.

I recently read an interesting article published by theguardian.com. Some of the transportation industry representatives interviewed shared their concerns about violent encounters with members of the public. Greg Regan, president of the transportation trades department at the AFL-CIO said about the safety crisis, “This is a crisis. What frontline workers are experiencing every day around this country is horrific, and it’s not getting better. They’re the ones who are the eyes and ears on the ground, who can identify vulnerabilities and help point us in the right direction for meaningful solutions.” 

Our parking and transportation frontline staff needs help. While the government is taking steps to implement supportive safety measures, they can’t be entirely effective without our collective assistance. Are we asking our team members about their safety concerns…and more importantly, are we listening?

Cindy Campbell is IPMI’s senior training and development specialist. She is available for customized in-person or virtual training; click here for details.