The war and the mobilization of men led to an acute shortage of drivers in the field of public transport, especially in large cities. In response to this, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine is developing a program for training women to drive large vehicles.
Deputy Minister Serhii Derkach noted that in the regions the shortage of drivers reaches at least 30%. The Ministry plans to involve domestic businesses in the project, which have already expressed their willingness to provide equipment and training sites.
“This is the question of the coming weeks. We are collecting data on the need for drivers”, – said Derkach.
The problem of lack of personnel is especially felt in Lviv and Kyiv. In Lviv, public utility companies are looking for about a hundred trolleybus and tram drivers, and in Kyiv, a shortage of personnel has led to an increase in metro service intervals.
The Ministry of Infrastructure plans to involve domestic business in the project, which has already expressed its willingness to provide equipment and training sites. Some companies even offered scholarships and further employment opportunities for female program participants.
It is noted that the implementation of this project will not only help to solve the problem of public transport driver shortage, but will also contribute to gender equality in the labor market, expanding employment opportunities for women and strengthening the stability of Ukraine’s transport system in war conditions.
