Published on: 2026-07-24
Source: KAMAZ – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Yesterday evening in Naberezhnye Chelny, the ceremonial opening of the professional skills contest “Best Bus Driver of Regular Urban Passenger Routes” took place, which is held from July 23 to 25 at the Maydan of Pribrezhny Park. Today, July 24, the contestants will complete the tasks of two stages of the contest.
For the first time, Naberezhnye Chelny became the venue for competitions that brought together 51 of the best public transport drivers from 40 cities in Russia and Belarus. The event is timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the city’s founding and the 50th anniversary of the release of the first KAMAZ truck. The organizers are the executive committee of Naberezhnye Chelny, PJSC KAMAZ, and the municipal enterprise “City Transport.” The general sponsor of the event is PJSC KAMAZ, and the official partner is JSC MAZ “Moskvich.”
“I am glad to welcome you to the opening of the competition. First of all, I would like to thank the City Executive Committee, and personally Mayor Nail Gambarovich, for organizing this event and for the attention given to the development of public transport in the city. We can see how the city’s appearance has changed since the modern blue NEFAZ buses appeared on the streets of Naberezhnye Chelny. For KAMAZ, it is a great honor to shape the image of a modern city by supplying contemporary, high-quality, safe equipment.”, – noted Passenger Transport Director of PJSC “KAMAZ”, Chief Judge Ruslan Kozadaev at the opening ceremony. He also emphasized that the competition is held as a mark of respect for the profession of driver, for the people entrusted with the lives and safety of millions of the country’s residents. “I wish all participants to pass the test with dignity. On behalf of the judging panel, I guarantee uncompromising quality judging. I want to wish everyone good luck! Exercising the right of the chief judge, allow me to declare the competition open!” – announced Ruslan Kozadaev.
At the professional skills competition, participants will face courses for high-speed maneuvering and comfortable driving, as well as an assessment of traffic rules knowledge. Today, on the high-speed track, drivers will need to complete exercises “Slalom,” “Circle,” “Box,” “Tunnel Gates,” “Ruts,” “Bus Stop,” “Stop,” and “Relay.” The focus will be on time and accuracy. Driving comfort will be evaluated based on smoothness of movement and the ability not to spill water from the control container. This competition will take place tomorrow.
Participants complete the tasks on NEFAZ-5299-40-52 buses. This city low-floor bus is produced at the Neftekamsk Automobile Plant, a subsidiary of PJSC KAMAZ in Bashkiria, and is one of the most sought-after models in the company’s passenger transport lineup.
A diverse entertainment program has been organized for the event guests. It began with a theatrical performance about the history of Naberezhnye Chelny, the construction of the KAMAZ plant, and the modern stage of the city’s development. Representatives of Russian student brigades, who came to work at KAMAZ this summer, participated in the production together with Chelny youth. A bright highlight of the program on the first day was the ceremonial parade: the contest participants came out carrying the flags of their cities.
An exhibition of modern passenger vehicles of all classes, demonstrating the extensive production capabilities of KAMAZ, was presented to the guests. The rotation shift bus KAMAZ-6250, the fifth-generation electric bus KAMAZ-52222, the city route bus NEFAZ-5299-40-52, the city buses KAMAZ-4290-5N CNG and KAMAZ-4280-F5 Vega were showcased. As a symbol of the competition’s opening, the KAMAZ-master team race car, KAMAZ-54901, KAMAZ-65954, KAMAZ-6595, KAMAZ-65952 vehicles representing the high-tech K5 generation lineup, a buggy, and motorcycles made a parade lap. The vocal-instrumental ensemble “K-5,” created in 2025 on the initiative of the KAMAZ trade union, performed on stage.
The event’s official partner, JSC MAZ Moskvich, is also presenting its products at the event. Many eager participants have already taken test drives behind the wheel of the company’s new models — the M70 and M90 cars — as part of the organized test drive. The opportunity to personally evaluate the driving characteristics and comfort of the Moskvich cars’ interiors is available throughout all three days of the competition.
Today, for representatives of Russian and Belarusian companies specializing in passenger transportation and participating in the competition, a tour has been organized to the KAMAZ Visitor Center and the KAMAZ-Motorsport Non-Profit Partnership, where the legendary racing team KAMAZ-master is based. The leaders will hold negotiations with the top managers of the automotive giant about prospects for cooperation in the supply of automotive equipment for the needs of the regions.
Passenger transport manufacturing is one of the key areas of activity of PJSC “KAMAZ”. The company strives to contribute to the development of a modern and comfortable urban environment by creating reliable equipment that helps ensure daily passenger transportation. Today, buses and electric buses produced by the KAMAZ Group of Companies operate in cities across Russia, providing comfortable and safe travel for millions of passengers, and are an integral part of the transportation system of Russian regions.
The names of the competition winners will be announced tomorrow, July 25, during the official closing ceremony of the contest. The leader of the competition will receive a Moskvich car as a prize. The silver medalist will get 200,000 rubles and a refrigerator, while the third-place winner will receive 100,000 rubles and a television. The event will conclude with a performance by the honored artist of the Republic of Tatarstan, Firdus Tyamaev, and the group “Safari.”
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