Bus company Arriva is to be allowed to hire non-Dutch speaking drivers in Limburg to help deal with a long-term staff shortage.

The provincial authority is set to relax the language rules so that Arriva can recruit four drivers from Croatia, who can speak English but not Dutch, in the Venlo area as a trial scheme.

The province plans to grant the exemption on condition that the drivers are offered language classes in Dutch and enjoy the same pay and conditions as their colleagues.

“The fact is that we simply have too few people to be able to offer a reliable service,” a spokesman for Arriva told L1 Nieuws.

“But in the meantime we are working on training and recruiting new staff members.”

It is not known when the provincial authority will grant the exemption to Arriva or how long it will last.