More than a million people have fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion that started Feb. 24, and many are being taken to safety in buses.
The mass evacuation shows the role that buses play in moving people quickly to safety, whether during a natural disaster or the conflict in Ukraine, which the United Nations has deemed Europe’s fastest-moving refugee crisis since the end of World War II.
Many transportation providers — including rail, air and bus companies — are offering Ukrainian residents free travel once they reach other European borders. Among those providers is FlixBus Europe, which has been operating in Ukraine since 2019.
“FlixBus has already been offering additional connections from the Polish-Ukrainian border to provide people with even more travel options,” the company shared in news release. “Our outreach team is on the ground to help people arriving from Ukraine in Przemyśl, Poland, before continuing on. FlixBus is also working closely with the relevant authorities. Upon request, FlixBus has also been organizing individual bus trips.”
Escot Bus Lines in Largo, Florida, which is a FlixBus partner, highlighted in a social media post the role FlixBus is playing in quickly moving people to safety:
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people and our European FlixBus colleagues during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to those that have lost loved ones as we are profoundly moved by the resolution and determination of the Ukrainian people in the face of such strong challenges. Ukraine has a rich history and a bright future. We hope and pray for a fast and just resolution to this conflict.
Brian Scott, Escot Bus President, says the goal with the post is to let people know the connection to what is happening half a world away.
“It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to live through a war, and there are people there that are actually doing it and suffering because of it. I just thought it was important to make that known and just provide some moral support, if nothing else,” Scott said.
“As a FlixBus provider here in the States, we saw what they were doing and just thought it was appropriate to recognize that and make sure that we did our part to let everybody know what they’re doing,” he said.
Like many operators in the motorcoach industry, Escot Bus Lines has provided motorcoaches to evacuate people from hurricanes and other natural disasters.
“If it wasn’t for buses, people may literally be stuck. There wouldn’t be able to get out, and they would be in danger. Hurricanes are one kind of danger but being involved in a shooting war is a completely different experience,” Scott said. “Buses provide a vital component to the transportation network. When any of us get a call for something like that, we’re going to worry about the details later. We’re just going to take care of people first.”
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