There are school buses in the Mykolaiv region, but communities cannot find drivers

In the communities of the Mykolaiv region the problem with school bus drivers is intensifying. The vehicles themselves exist in the settlements, but often there is no one to drive them: some employees are already elderly.

The situation was described by the director of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Alla Velikhovska.

Currently the region has 315 school buses. The communities also have 31 specialized buses for transporting children who use wheelchairs.

School transport is primarily provided to students who truly need transportation. If parents chose for their child not the nearest educational institution but, for example, a school or lyceum in Mykolaiv, they must arrange transportation to the place of study themselves.

“In general, the founder is responsible for transporting children. If an academic lyceum is established in a particular community, that community must carry out the necessary work to ensure students are transported,” noted Alla Velikhovska.

An additional 40 buses were also purchased for the communities. At the same time, payment for their purchase has so far been made by only 12 communities.

According to the head of the department, communities report that the number of buses they have is sufficient. The problem remains precisely the shortage of drivers.

School bus drivers do not have reservations. Because of this, some communities have a staffing shortage.

“Our situation with drivers is worse today because drivers are not reserved. In some communities, unfortunately, drivers are already 72–73 years old, and there are communities where there is not a single driver — there are buses, but no drivers,” said Alla Velikhovska.

It was previously reported that the number of schoolchildren in the Mykolaiv region has decreased by 7 thousand compared to last year.

Earlier we wrote:

• From September 1 teachers’ salaries will rise by 20%, and scholarships will double, — Cabinet of Ministers
• The lyceum in the Korabelnyi district received two new school buses
• Two school buses, donated by foreign partners, were destroyed by the enemy in the Mykolaiv region
• School buses, workshops, free meals: what will change in education in 2025 — explained MP Olena Shuliak
• The Cabinet allocated 1.6 billion hryvnias for school buses: Mykolaiv region will receive 23.5 million