The post of a special bus driver recently attracted more than 2,000 candidates, making it one of the most sought-after jobs in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.

Sheng Jun, a 30-year-old father with a bachelor's degree in pharmacology, won the job of driving 40 children with special needs to and from their school. Many of them suffer from cerebral palsy, autism or Down syndrome, and the youngest is just 6 years old.

The free special bus service has been run for 11 years by the team that manages the city's No 516 bus route, and Sheng said he is proud to be the fifth driver.

Sheng parks the bus, which has a sign saying "bus with love", next to the designated bus stop at 7:20 am and waits for his passengers, who are students at Jiang'an School for Children with Special Needs. The trip from the bus stop to the school takes about an hour.

Sheng memorized the names of all the children before starting his new job on Feb 13, and he smiles and calls out their names as they board the bus.

"I have a cousin who suffers from Down syndrome. I see the children like my relatives and want to treat them like family members too," he said.

To help ease the children's anxiety about a stranger, Sheng has shared sweets with them.

Although Sheng also drives the regular route of the No 516 bus, he drives the children to school on a voluntary basis and is not paid for the extra hours. However, he said the hugs and kisses from the children are priceless.

"A boy nicknamed Longlong now gives me a big hug and kiss on the cheek every time he is on the bus. When they like you, they like you with all their hearts. I am really touched," Sheng said.

Sheng said the job can be quite challenging, since the children can be impatient and easily agitated, especially during traffic jams, and sometimes they begin running on the bus. But he is prepared to handle emergencies along with the teachers who ride with him.

About one-third of the school's students go to and from school by bus, said Fan Yun, the school's headmaster.

"We teach the children about manners when they are on the bus. The bus has become their second classroom," she said.

Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn