欧洲自行车修理工严重短缺
E-bikes are booming across Europe – but there are not nearly enough people to fix them.
According to an industry report, Europe currently has around 175,000 bicycle mechanics, and is already about 45,000 workers short. By 2032, it could need more than 100,000 extra mechanics to keep up with demand.
The problem is that modern e-bikes are far more complicated than ordinary bicycles. As well as brakes and gears, mechanics now have to deal with motors, batteries, electronics and software, and each manufacturer often uses its own system. Electric cargo bikes, used to carry children or shopping, add to the workload. So do the large fleets of rental and delivery bikes, which clock up kilometres much faster than privately owned ones.
The shortage is already having an effect. One survey suggested that more than 120 million Europeans ride less often because it is hard to get their bikes repaired, and millions have given up cycling altogether.
Low wages are a big part of the problem. In Germany, bike mechanics earn well below the national average, and in some southern European countries pay is even lower. Training also varies widely from country to country.
Industry groups are now calling for a single Europe-wide qualification to attract more young people into the trade.
电动自行车在欧洲大受欢迎，可是会修的人远远不够。
根据一份行业报告，欧洲目前大约有 17.5 万名自行车修理工，缺口已经达到约 4.5 万人。到 2032 年，可能还需要再增加 10 万多人，才能跟上需求。
问题在于，现在的电动自行车比普通自行车复杂得多。除了刹车和变速器，修理工还得对付电机、电池、电子元件和软件，而且各家厂商往往用的是自己的一套系统。用来接送孩子、运送购物袋的电动货运自行车，又让工作量多了一大块。还有大批共享单车和外卖电动车，它们跑的里程比私人自行车多得多。
短缺已经带来了影响。一项调查显示，超过 1.2 亿欧洲人因为自行车难以修好而减少了骑车次数，还有数百万人干脆不骑了。
收入低是一个重要原因。在德国，自行车修理工的收入远低于全国平均水平，南欧一些国家的工资还要更低。各国的职业培训也参差不齐。
行业组织正在呼吁设立一个全欧洲统一的资格认证，吸引更多年轻人入行。