Public transport in Kyiv: metro, trolleybuses, and trams may become free.

The possibility of making public transport free is being discussed in Kyiv. Kyiv City Council deputy Andriy Vitrenko shared this in an exclusive interview with Novini.LIVE.

"There are models in European capitals where transport is free... I believe that there is an opportunity to make transport free in Kyiv," Vitrenko stated.

Currently, the cost of travel in Kyiv's public transport ranges from 8 to 15 hryvnias, depending on the route. Meanwhile, in frontline Kharkiv, the metro is already operating for free.

According to Vitrenko, the issue of free travel has been repeatedly discussed with city leadership:

"We constantly debate with the Director of the Finance Department. We invited Viktor Braginsky (former head of Kyiv's metro) for discussions, as well as the director of 'Kyivpastrans Service' and Ruslan Kandybor (head of the Transport Department of KCSA). But they don't want to do anything," noted the deputy.

Vitrenko also emphasized that Kyiv's budget allows for the implementation of such an initiative: "There is money in Kyiv. I'm telling you, 100 billion hryvnias - expenditures of the Kyiv city budget".

However, according to him, the problem is not the lack of funds but the "managerial and institutional incapacity" of the city authorities.

Let us remind you that Kyiv recently experienced a 9-month period when the blue metro line was not operational due to an accident. During all this Time, passengers had to use ground transport at the same price as the metro - 8 hryvnias.

Despite ambitious plans and discussions, concrete steps towards implementing free travel in Kyiv have not yet been taken. Whether this idea will become a reality remains to be seen.