The Autotrolej public transportation company will reduce the number of bus services as of Wednesday due to a lack of drivers, given that currently 23% of all the employed drivers are absent due to sick leave or holidays.

The company’s spokesperson said on Tuesday that the altered schedule of bus lines will be available on Autotrolej’s website.

The company employs 253 drivers, and 33 of them are currently on sick leave and 22 are exercising their right to holidays. Autotrolej has 50 bus lines connecting 13 towns with its fleet of 171 buses.

In January, Autotrolej announced that it would hire 20 workers from Nepal and India, who were supposed to start working as bus drivers in Rijeka’s public city transport from the end of February.

However, the arrival of first ten employees from Asia is expected in late February and they should first undergo a driving training and also attend Croatian and English language courses before they start driving public buses. Another 10 are expected to come in March or April.