Refugees in the Netherlands are to be trained as bus drivers

Following the success of a pilot project in Arnhem, refugees in the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen are to be trained as bus drivers for Connexxion.

Project to roll out to Eindhoven and Nijmegen soon

After a successful pilot in Arnhem, the Dutch public transport company Connexxion has announced plans to implement their project, which offers refugees the required training to drive buses. Connexxion will roll out the project in Eindhoven and Nijmegen, although no start date has been given yet.

Connexxion first offered their training programme to nine Syrian refugees, all of whom had gained legal status in the Netherlands. The bus company said that at the beginning of their training they barely spoke Dutch and had no prior experience with bus driving. Since completing their training, the refugees have been offered jobs at Connexxion and now regularly drive several bus routes in Arnhem.