歐洲自行車技師嚴重不足
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.
電動自行車在歐洲大受歡迎，但會修的人遠遠不夠。
根據一份產業報告，歐洲目前大約有 17 萬 5 千名自行車技師，缺口已經達到約 4 萬 5 千人。到 2032 年，可能還需要再多 10 萬多人，才能跟上需求。
問題在於，現在的電動自行車比一般自行車複雜得多。除了煞車和變速器，技師還得處理馬達、電池、電子零件和軟體，而且各家廠牌常常用自己的一套系統。用來載小孩、載購物袋的電動貨運自行車，又讓工作量多了一大塊。還有大量的共享單車和外送電動車，它們跑的里程比私人自行車多得多。
人手不足已經造成影響。一項調查顯示，超過 1 億 2 千萬名歐洲人因為自行車不好修而減少騎車，還有數百萬人乾脆不騎了。
薪水低是很大的原因。在德國，自行車技師的收入遠低於全國平均，南歐一些國家的薪資還更低。各國的職業訓練也落差很大。
產業團體正在呼籲建立全歐洲統一的資格認證，吸引更多年輕人入行。