Ten modern mini-buses delivered to schools of Moldova with support of EU, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund

Ten modern school minibuses have been delivered to general education institutions  of Moldova. The vehicles, fully equipped and adapted for students with disabilities, were purchased with the support of the European Union and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The vehicles are meant to meet the most advanced safety and comfort requirements. Each minibus has 14 seats, including two seats reserved for students using wheelchairs. They are equipped with a special ramp, allowing children with disabilities to safely embark and disembark, just like their peers. The investment amounts to 740,000 dollars.

The transport units will be distributed to schools most in need of adapted school transport for access by children with mobility disabilities.

At the event of handing over the new transportation units, Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun said that the cars would be used as of September 1, in order to carry children from more remote areas to the educational institutions where they study.

“We continue this year the process of providing quality transport units for students across the country. While last year, we had 69 buses that we provided to schools in of Moldova with the support of the Romanian government, this year, we are pleased with the support of the European Union through the involvement of UNDP Moldova and we manage to provide ten transportation units today to our district departments. By the end of this year, including from the state budget, we will procure 21 more buses. It is quite important to ensure the safe transportation of our students and to be able to increase the transportation capacity,” said the minister.

Dan Perciun thanked foreign partners for the support provided in purchasing the new transportation units. “We hope that these buses, first and foremost, will give the opportunity for a higher quality education for the children who are to use them, because, eventually, this is our mission at the Ministry of Education, to ensure that every child, regardless of where they live or the family they come from, has safe access to quality education,” the minister concluded.

Máté Csicsai, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation in Moldova, said that the initiative aimed to ensure equal access for all children to quality education.

“When we invest in children, we invest in the future of Moldova as part of the European family. The European Union stays committed to the development of  Moldova and the providing of opportunities for each child. Together, with joint efforts, we will succeed in creating an inclusive, modern and open Moldova,” said Máté Csicsai.

Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova, said that the new transportation units, in addition to the already existing school buses in the  country, would improve access to education for all children, regardless of where they live.

“For us, it is a great honor to have this common commitment to make sure that  every child of Moldova has access to quality education, because education is one of the most powerful factors of transformation and progress in a society. In  Moldova, a significant number of students from rural areas depend on school transport to get to school or wherever they need to go every day,” said Daniela Gasparikova.

The school minibuses were purchased under the programme, Promoting Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All, implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, with the support of the European Union. The programme supports the digital transformation of schools, improvement of educational infrastructure, and enhanced access to education for all children, especially the ones from vulnerable communities.