The Kyiv City State Administration explained the reasons behind the planned fare increase

About 1.1 million Kyiv residents currently use public transportation for free or at a discount, prompting city officials to cite a critical need to raise fares.

This was reported by the Department of Social and Veterans’ Policy of the Kyiv City State Administration.

The largest group eligible for discounts is pensioners (over 570,000 people); combat veterans, people with disabilities, and Chernobyl survivors are also entitled to free transportation. This year, nearly 875 million hryvnias were allocated from Kyiv’s budget to cover these costs.

The Kyiv City State Administration cites the main reason for the planned fare increase as the fact that the state has for years failed to reimburse the city for benefits guaranteed by law, while the current fare has remained unchanged since 2018 amid a sharp rise in fuel and electricity prices. Currently, the transportation system survives solely on 12 billion hryvnias in subsidies from the city budget, so city officials are already preparing new fare calculations.

As a reminder, Kyiv plans to raise public transit fares to 30 hryvnias per trip. The new rates could take effect on July 15, 2026, following the completion of regulatory procedures and consultations with the public and labor unions.

A petition calling for no increase in public transit fares in Kyiv gathered the required number of signatures for consideration by city authorities in less than a day as of May 19. The initiative emerged amid discussions of a possible fare revision in the capital and sparked a strong reaction among city residents.

Earlier, a petition against fare hikes was registered in Kyiv.

In Lviv, public transit fares were raised on May 16, and now prices depend on the payment method and can reach 30 hryvnias per trip. Authorities attribute the fare increase to rising costs for fuel and vehicle maintenance.