New measures approved for pupils' carriage to education institutions in Moldova

Chisinau, 13 March /MOLDPRES/ - The children due to go to an another school than the one from the settlement where they have their residence and which is at a distance larger than 2 km will be provided with free of charge transport. At the same time, the teachers due to accompany the pupils during their movement to education institutions by school transport units will benefit from a specific increase. The new provisions are contained in the Regulation on the transportation of pupils and were approved by the cabinet of ministers today.   

Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun said that the measures were aimed at improving the rules of pupils’ transportation by school buses, as well as at ensuring the access to quality education for each child. ‘’There are parents who want a better school for the children, but they cannot benefit from free of charge transport which passes through their settlement. We consider that this limits children’s right to access better education services,’’ Dan Perciun said.   

Another amendment regards the possibility of contracting by each education institution of the transport unit of the licenced agents carriers in the field. Also, to carry the pupils, buses and mini-buses owned by the education institution can be used, not only those managed by the local specialty bodies in the education sector or by the local public administration authority. 

Presently, children from 1,112 settlements are carried in 451 education institutions of Moldova. Over 700 of them are transported to kindergartens, about 20,000 – to gymnasium and over 3,000 – to lyceum. The carriage of pupils is provided by 412 school buses and 89 transport units used under contract with agents carriers.