Fares have increased imperceptibly: the reason for the increase in the cost of travel without official documents

In Zaporizhia, the cost of public transport has increased without warning.

Now, travel on municipal buses, trams, and trolleybuses costs 15 hryvnias, and on minibuses of private carriers—17 hryvnias, in some cases—18 hryvnias.

This decision was made on March 4 at an executive committee meeting, but without the necessary publication of documents, such as a regulatory impact analysis. Representatives of the transport department explain this by martial law. However, lawyers note that local authorities must comply with regulatory procedures even during war per Law No. 2259-IX.

Officials claim that the increase in fares is due to the rise in prices for fuel, electricity, and other expenses. In particular, the cost of diesel fuel increased from 30.40 hryvnias to 55.28 hryvnias, and gas from 15.96 hryvnias to 37.08 hryvnias. According to calculations, an economically justified tariff should be higher, more than 20 hryvnias for minibuses, more than 28 hryvnias for municipal buses, and about 26.5 hryvnias for electric transport.

Human rights activists warn that the authorities may use martial law as an excuse to make opaque decisions without sufficient justification. They call for compliance with the law and an open dialogue with the community.

Due to military operations that began in 2014, Ukraine is forced to spend significant resources on defense and reconstruction, which negatively affects the country’s economy.

It was previously reported that Ukraine is introducing an increase in public transport fares, which will positively affect residents’ wallets. Although the new tariffs are not yet on all routes, carriers have already announced an increase in the price of minibuses.