A department official revealed that about 4,000 employees within the U.S. Transportation Department submitted applications related to a new buyout program. The payout extending from last week until September 30th includes health coverage. The official believes that initial numbers potentially incorporate ineligible candidates and double applications among the estimated 4,000 buyout applicants.

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Elon Musk's DOGE team directs the buyout program which follows a government directive to cut down federal workforce but exempts critical roles in public safety within the Transportation Department. The exceptions to this buyout program involve Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers together with aviation safety inspectors and personnel examining railroad safety and operations of pipelines along with hazardous materials safety and cybersecurity inspectors.

The Transportation Department employs around 57,000 individuals. During February the federal government buyout initiative resulted in 75,000 employees accepting the offers. The Transportation Department provides no information about which staff members chose the initial buyout program.

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Federal agencies have recently extended an additional opportunity for their employees to choose buyout packages through multiple offerings in the past few weeks. More exemptions exist in the Transportation Department that apply to staff members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway lock workers and motor carrier safety specialists.

The Trump administration received criticism in the beginning for proposing buyouts for air traffic controllers together with safety-critical personnel despite staffing shortages affecting these roles. The FAA reversed its previous decision to conduct air traffic controller hirings by beginning recruitment of 2,000 new trainees for this year.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced during last week that it did not send a reduction-in-force plan to lower its workforce numbers. The widespread attention towards the Transportation Department's invitation for buyouts demonstrates the administration's active effort to reform federal public servants.