Published on: 2026-07-16
Source: KAMAZ – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From July 23 to 26, 2026, an Open Professional Skills Competition “Best Bus Driver of Regular Urban Passenger Routes” will be held in Naberezhnye Chelny at the square of the “Pribrezhnoy” park, with KAMAZ acting as the general sponsor.
For the first time, Naberezhnye Chelny will host a competition that will bring together the 50 best public transport drivers from 42 cities across Russia and Belarus. The organizers of the contest are the Executive Committee of Naberezhnye Chelny, PJSC KAMAZ, and Municipal Unitary Enterprise “City Transport”, with JSC MAZ “Moskvich” as the official partner.
Holding the event in Naberezhnye Chelny has special significance. In 2026, the city will celebrate the 400th anniversary of its founding, and PJSC “KAMAZ” will mark the 50th anniversary of the production of its first truck. Organizing a professional competition in this jubilee year emphasizes the city’s importance as one of the leading centers of the country’s automotive industry and public transportation.
Participants will have to go through three competitive stages: testing theoretical knowledge of traffic rules; high-speed maneuvering; comfortable driving, where the smoothness of bus control and the quality of passenger transportation are evaluated.
The competition will take place on NEFAZ-5299-40-52 buses, allowing participants to demonstrate their skills under equal conditions. This city low-floor bus is manufactured at the Neftekamsk Automobile Plant, part of the KAMAZ Group of Companies, and is one of the most in-demand models in the company’s passenger transport lineup.
The winner, who takes first place, will receive a Moskvich car as a prize. The silver medalist will be awarded 200,000 rubles and a refrigerator, while the third-place winner will receive 100,000 rubles and a television. In addition, there are four special nominations: “Best Debutant” (the youngest participant), “Best Traffic Rules Knowledge Test Score,” “Best Performance on the Speed Maneuvering Course,” and “Best Performance in the ‘Comfortable Driving’ Exercise.”
Guests of the celebration can expect a varied program including a theatrical performance, an exhibition of buses produced by PJSC KAMAZ, the KAMAZ-master sports truck, a draw for a smartphone and other valuable prizes, performances by the city’s creative groups, and the honored artist of the Republic of Tatarstan Firdus Tyamaev. The vocal-instrumental ensemble “K-5,” created in 2025 on the initiative of the KAMAZ trade union organization, will also present its creative numbers. Activists of the Russian Student Brigades will participate in the opening and closing ceremonies.
In addition, guests and participants of the competition will find interactive entertainment zones for children and adults from the Moscow Automobile Plant “Moskvich.” The “Moskvich” brand is an official partner of the competition. Sharing the values of this celebration – attention to the working person, the pursuit of urban environment development, and impeccable quality – the company brought a new line of “Moskvich” cars to Naberezhnye Chelny. A large-scale test drive of the M70 and M90 models will take place at a special site, where anyone interested can personally experience the comfort and dynamics of the new models.
The organizers intend for the competition to become not only a platform for identifying the best drivers in the country but also a vibrant event of the anniversary year, bringing together the professional community, equipment manufacturers, and city residents.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.