In Kirovohrad Oblast, bus carriers lack 250 drivers to serve intercity and suburban routes. Enterprises face the consequences of employee mobilization and difficulties in booking military-liable workers. In some companies, predominantly pension-age workers remain behind the wheel.
On October 28, reported "Suspilne Kropyvnytskyi" with reference to the head of the regional association of carriers, Anatoliy Golovanov.
According to his data, 167 bus routes operate in the region, of which 89 are intercity within the oblast and 78 are suburban. They are served by 53 carriers employing 210 drivers. To ensure the required number of trips, enterprises need another 250 employees.
In Kropyvnytskyi itself, six private carriers serve 22 city routes. Their total need for drivers is 370 people.
One of the main reasons for the personnel shortage cited by carriers is the mobilization of workers. It is becoming increasingly difficult for enterprises to find replacements for drivers who have left to serve in the Armed Forces.
Thus, Viktor Hermash, a driver of the suburban route Kropyvnytskyi — Novovladymyrivka, said that since the beginning of the full-scale war he has been working without a replacement. His partner was mobilized, and the enterprise cannot find a new employee.
A similar situation has developed at an enterprise serving ten suburban and four intercity routes. According to deputy director Natalia Barkar, the company lacks half of the required number of drivers. Over the past year, five employees were mobilized, and seven in total.
Currently, all drivers of this enterprise are pensioners. Meanwhile, the workload remains high: some cover hundreds of kilometers daily, providing transport links between villages and the regional center.
Carriers explain that they cannot solve the personnel problem through employee booking due to financial requirements for enterprises.
To obtain the status of critical importance, a carrier must, in particular, ensure a set level of wages. Currently the salary threshold is 25,941 hryvnias — three minimum wages. For enterprises in combat zones, a lower threshold is provided — 21,618 hryvnias.
According to Barkar, it is difficult for small carriers to meet this condition. Their income depends on the fare, and enterprises cannot independently raise tariffs. Currently, a ticket on suburban routes depending on distance costs from 25 to 70 hryvnias.
In addition to salary requirements, to obtain the status of critical importance, carriers must have at least three permits for suburban or intercity routes and a reserve of buses of 10% of the total number.
On October 23, the government changed the procedure for booking employees, including in the transport sector. Now enterprise documents must undergo additional approval through the Coordination Center for Booking Organization.
In Kirovohrad Oblast, the status of critical importance, allowing employee booking, has been granted to the communal enterprises "Electrotrans" in Kropyvnytskyi and "Oleksandriia Transport" in Oleksandriia. Private carriers that do not meet the established criteria are deprived of this opportunity.
The driver shortage directly affects passengers, especially residents of rural settlements, for whom the bus remains the main way to get to work, hospitals, and administrative institutions.
Carrier representatives consider it necessary to review the criteria for granting critical importance status to passenger transport enterprises. According to their assessment, without solving the personnel problem it will be increasingly difficult to maintain regular bus service.
