Deputies of the ZSNO outlined steps to eliminate the shortage of bus drivers.

      25 September 2025 14:30 Society

      Deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region at a session on 25 September adopted an appeal to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The aim of the initiative is to systematically solve the shortage of bus drivers on scheduled passenger routes across the country, including in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      According to the regional parliament, the staffing situation in passenger transportation remains strained. In the Nizhny Novgorod Region alone the shortage is about one and a half thousand drivers, while the workforce at enterprises is rapidly aging.

      Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Evgeny Lyulin emphasized that the staff shortage directly affects the stability of public transport operations. According to him, the adopted appeal contains concrete federal-level steps: creating a system for training young qualified specialists based on colleges and technical schools and reducing excessive barriers to entry into the profession. He expressed hope for government support in solving a task important for all regions.

      Parliamentarians proposed a package of measures that includes adding the profession "Bus Driver" to the list of secondary vocational education specialties and to the All-Russian Classifier of Occupations. In addition, it is proposed to develop and approve a federal state educational standard for this profession. Such a standard should grant college graduates the right to operate buses of categories "D" and "DE."

      Separately, deputies consider it important to ensure that graduates who have completed a full secondary vocational education program can begin work immediately after receiving their diploma. They believe this will be a significant incentive for young people and will allow wider use of targeted training mechanisms guaranteeing employment in the transport sector for at least three years.

      Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Committee on Transport and Road Management Vladimir Soldatenkov noted that implementing the proposed solutions will allow the preparation of qualified drivers within an accessible secondary vocational education system, raise the profession’s prestige and ultimately provide regional residents with reliable and safe public transport.

      Earlier the Legislative Assembly rejected a proposal to lower the minimum age for bus drivers.

      It was also reported that bus drivers’ salaries in Nizhny Novgorod increased by 42%.

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