Politics

Russian government allows people without limbs to drive buses

The Russian government has lifted certain medical restrictions for bus drivers, now including those who are missing a hand or a leg.

22 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Russian government allows people without limbs to drive buses — Archive photoPhoto: Jürg Vollmer · Flickr · BY-SA

The government of the Russian Federation has amended the list of medical restrictions for driving buses, trams, trolleybuses, and trucks. This is outlined in a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on August 19 and published on August 21.

According to reports from Novaya Gazeta Europe, the regulations have now been adjusted so that the absence of a hand or leg is no longer considered a disqualification for obtaining a driving permit. Additionally, other conditions have been removed from the list, including the absence of a palm or sole, as well as severe limb deformities.

Instead of the previous specific restrictions, authorities have introduced a uniform criterion: individuals who are missing both upper limbs or hands, or whose hands are deformed, are excluded from obtaining a driving permit.

This change is part of a broader reform in the transportation sector aimed at improving mobility for people with disabilities and providing them with more opportunities in the workforce. Information regarding the exact impact of the new regulation is not yet available.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.