Free public transportation in Kyiv will cost 2.2 billion hryvnia per year

Introducing free rides on all municipal buses, trolleybuses, and trams in the capital will require approximately 180 million hryvnias in compensation each month.

These estimates were provided by former Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Viktor Dovgan. According to his assessment, the total budgetary costs will amount to approximately 2.2 billion hryvnias per year.

He criticized the initiative, emphasizing that these funds would be better spent on restoring energy infrastructure, developing distributed generation, and protecting Kyiv’s bridges.

If free transit is implemented only during periods of metro service disruptions or bridge traffic restrictions, the amount of compensation will depend on the duration of the program and the number of routes.

Source: Viktor Dovgan (Facebook)

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko commented on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement regarding discussions with the government about the possibility of introducing free rides on the capital’s surface public transportation. The mayor also responded to plans to create a reserve fleet of buses for Kyiv.

As a reminder, the fare on a private route in the capital has reached 30 UAH for the first time. The new fare was introduced on minibus route No. 503, which runs from the “Chervonyi Khutir” metro station to Mitropolita Sheptytskoho Street.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the prime minister to develop a program for free travel on the capital’s urban ground transportation and to ensure a sufficient reserve of buses.