Predictors of Intention to Quit Among Urban Bus Drivers in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Vietnam

Turnover is a significant challenge to maintaining the continuity of service provision and service quality. A high turnover rate is frequently seen for demanding and stressful jobs like bus driving. The Hanoi Transportation Corporation (TRANSERCO) takes responsibility for operating nearly half of the Hanoi bus network, including over 130 subsidized routes. According to the enterprise, over 55% of canceled trips come from a lack of drivers, and the decrease in the number of drivers has remained stable since 2020. The present study aimed to predict the antecedents of the turnover intention among bus drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam. The data used were collected from 428 drivers working on 68 routes operated by TRANSERCO. The results highlighted that drivers aged over 55 were more likely to have higher turnover intention. A worrying finding was that the most experienced drivers (>5 years) were more inclined to think about stopping driving buses. The respondents working on routes lying entirely in urban districts were more likely to be intent to quit their job, albeit with a weak significance level (90%). All four pressure types (i.e., traffic and road, schedule, cabin and vehicle, and weather) contributed to the turnover intention. The facilitating effects of pressures related to schedule and road/traffic were much larger than those of the remaining pressures. Rewards and organizational support were found to play a role in relieving this intention. Based on the findings of influential factors, managerial policies are proposed to lessen turnover intention among drivers. The current study is valuable to the literature, as it is one of the first investigations of the turnover intention among bus drivers in emerging countries.