Channel 5: Kyiv is preparing to increase public transport fares - HIGHLIGHTS

Fares for public transportation in Kyiv may soon rise to 8 hryvnias. Channel 5 correspondent Natalka Yurchuk finds out more about the reasons and timing of the fare increase.

Anton Kozyr, a resident of Kyiv, travels to work every day by public transportation. On weekdays, he spends at least 40 hryvnias on transportation. He says that with his low salary, the price increase will hit his budget hard.

"If it goes up, do the math - it will be 80-100 hryvnias. I wish this money was really spent on transportation, and not in the pockets of managers who will make money on this transportation," says Anton Kozyr, a Kyiv resident.

UAH 8 for a bus fare is not good news, Kyiv residents complain. They complain that their salaries are not growing, but everything around them is getting more expensive.

"I believe that we need to raise the standard of living as such. Because prices have gone up, but salaries have remained the same. We will walk, quit smoking and go in for sports," Anatoliy Pashchenko, a resident of Kyiv, said ironically.

Rising prices for fuel and lubricants, spare parts, and electricity are the main reasons for the increase in ground transportation and subway fares, according to the mayor's office. Another is a catastrophic shortage of staff. In particular, drivers who do not agree to work for little money.

"For example, the subway has about 300 vacancies that cannot be filled due to the size of the salary. Kyivpastrans has about 500 vacancies, which are essential to ensure passenger transportation in the city," explains Mykola Povoroznyk, Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration.

Private carriers face a similar problem. So the sky-high fare for municipal transport will lead to higher prices in minibuses. However, not immediately.

"Between 5 and 10% vehicles are not on the line every day due to a lack of drivers. On the other hand, if this price remains, we won't have to wait for the rolling stock to be renewed. Currently, drivers are guided by the minimum wage they receive abroad. It is at least a thousand dollars," says Vladimir Nazarenko, director of Transgroup.

Instead, experts are confident that an increase to 8 hryvnias will become a psychological limit for the population. In fact, prices will be raised to 6 hryvnias in mid-summer.

"There will definitely be a price increase. My subjective opinion is that it will be about 30-50% of the current tariff. That is, if today it is 4-5 hryvnias, then an increase to 6-7 hryvnias will be possible," predicts Viktor Medvid, director of the consulting campaign Invest-Expert.

The mayor's office has not yet announced how much the cost of public transportation will increase. They say that they are currently developing a methodology for calculating the tariff, and then they will hold public discussions.