Sofia's public transportation system is increasingly relying on foreign workers to address its long-standing shortage of bus drivers. According to BNT, 28 citizens of Uzbekistan have already joined the municipal transport company as it works to fill approximately 300 vacant driver positions.
The staffing shortage remains a significant challenge, particularly as the average age of the company's current drivers has risen above 50. Officials hope that recruiting employees from abroad will help stabilize operations and reduce the pressure on the existing workforce.
One of the newly hired drivers, Khayrulla Karimov, has been working for Sofia Urban Transport for about a year and a half. He admitted that adapting to the job was not easy at first. "It was difficult in the beginning, but my colleagues helped me, and we also received training for the traffic conditions," he said. Language also proved to be an obstacle, although he noted that it has become much easier over time. "The language was a challenge, but now I am beginning to understand and speak it."
Karimov says he has developed a particular fondness for the route serving Vitosha and believes a positive attitude makes a difference when dealing with passengers. "I always smile. It opens people's hearts," he said.
