School bus driver and mayor, he tells us about his daily life with two hats

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Published on Sep 3, 2022

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BACK TO SCHOOL - It's back to school for him too. At the Cordier company bus depot in Baugé-en-Anjou, Jean-Christophe Rouxel, 54, is back on his usual bus line. This morning, September 1st, all the children in the area will have a bus to take them to school. But the driver shortage is making itself felt and the schedule remains tight: "We don't want to get sick," he sighs. The sun is rising as the bus sets off for its first stop. They're off for three-quarters of an hour on a journey that he knows by heart, through the surrounding villages and forests. On this first day back at school, only the 6th and 3rd grade students from two middle schools in Baugé-en-Anjou are heading back to school. Children he has often seen growing up for years: "We know each other, we say hello morning and evening, we spend eight months and four years together, and so automatically, bonds can be created," he tells us. "700 to 800 euros per month, it's not possible to live on it" A school bus driver for twelve years, Jean-Christophe Rouxel has always combined this part-time job with another job. A more than necessary supplement: "A part-time bus driver, it's 700 to 800 euros per month, it's not possible to live on it," he regrets. Faced with the shortage of drivers, he sees above all a lever to pull: salary, "given the times we live in and the cost of living", but also greater flexibility from employers to allow people who already have a part-time job to do the school rounds morning and evening. For Jean-Christophe Rouxel, once the children have been safely dropped off, his second day begins, heading to the town hall of La Lande-Chasles. Since 2014, he has been the mayor of this town of 123 inhabitants, the smallest in Maine-et-Loire, but certainly one of the most dynamic. On the agenda this morning: preparing the agenda for the next town council meeting, and meeting with the deputy mayor of a neighboring village. When he is not on the road, Jean-Christophe Rouxel dedicates all his energy to his village. Among his latest initiatives, the installation of photovoltaic panels which cover the village's public electricity consumption, and even makes a profit by reselling a large part of the energy produced. "With all that, I find a certain fulfillment. It gives me energy, I know why I get up in the morning," he confides with a smile. But this balance remains fragile: "With these activities, I roughly get to a little more than a minimum wage (...) But if one of them were to stop, it would have to be replaced by something else, so that I could live normally." A few days before the start of the school year, the National Federation of Passenger Transport estimated that 7,000 school bus driver positions were still vacant in France.----- Subscribe to the HuffPost YouTube channel now: / lehuffpost For more HuffPost content: Web: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/ Facebook: / lehuffpost Twitter: / lehuffpost Instagram: / lehuffpost To receive our free daily newsletter: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/newslet...

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