A 90-minute trip and a new fare: Kyiv may change its metro fare structure
Viktor Mykhailovych Vyhovskyi, head of the Kyiv Metro municipal enterprise, explained what makes up the actual cost of transportation and why the current fare is significantly lower than the cost of operations, which is driven by expenses for electricity, salaries, and staff shortages. The metro also notes that even a slight price increase will have almost no impact on passengers but will make a difference for the company’s budget.
In Kyiv, the Kyiv Metro municipal enterprise has once again returned to the topic of fares and the actual costs of operating the subway, explaining that the current fare has long failed to cover the actual cost of transportation, which is rising due to expensive resources and wartime conditions.
This was stated during a discussion of transportation issues by Viktor Mykhailovych Vyhovskyi, head of the Kyiv Metro municipal enterprise, who emphasized that the current fare and cost structure is significantly out of step with reality.
According to him, most passengers use the cheapest fare option, and over 60% of trips are paid for at a rate of about 8 hryvnias, which, as he notes, has already become a familiar and almost imperceptible payment for a significant portion of the population. “The number of passengers using the 8-hryvnia fare is over 60%. And 8 hryvnias—one could say that this is a very reasonable price at this time, and it is very low,” said Vyhovsky.
He also compared possible fare changes and noted that the difference between 8 and 10 hryvnias, in his opinion, will not have a critical impact on passengers, but will at least partially bring the company’s revenue closer to its actual costs.
Separately, the metro emphasizes that the key expenses are currently electricity and wages, as well as a staffing shortage, which stands at about 20% and hinders the system’s stable operation. “The main components are wages and electricity, and these account for the lion’s share of expenses. We also have a severe staff shortage; about 20 percent of positions remain unfilled,” noted the head of the municipal enterprise.
He also emphasized that the cost of electricity for the company is constantly rising, and procurement takes place under difficult market conditions, which further impacts the metro’s financial balance.
Martial law remains a separate cost factor, as the metro not only serves a transportation function but also provides shelter for the population during air raid alerts, which also impacts the company’s expenses. “We have another function as a metro system—providing shelter for the population. In wartime, this also increases costs,” said Vygivsky.
The municipal enterprise forecasts that the actual cost of transportation will continue to rise, even despite attempts to optimize expenses, and it already significantly exceeds the current fare for passengers.
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