Kyiv remains the only city in Ukraine where public transport stops during air alerts
On Wednesday, January 29, a roundtable discussion titled “Ensuring the Reliable Operation of Public Transport During Air Alerts in Kyiv” took place in the capital. The event was attended by the head of the Kyiv Military Administration, Timur Tkachенко, the first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Mykola Povoroznyk, the director of the transport department of the Kyiv City State Administration, Ruslan Kandybor, as well as transport experts, lawyers, and representatives of civic organizations.
Why is Klitschko still insisting on halting transport during alerts, what do experts suggest regarding this issue, and what plans does the newly appointed head of the military administration have – read in the new article by Kashtan NEWS.
7 The Cost of Transport Collapse
Currently, Kyiv is the only city in Ukraine that still stops public transport during air alerts. For a metropolis divided by the Dnipro River, this poses a significant problem, particularly an economic one, yet the city authorities have not yet disclosed any calculations of the losses incurred due to this decision.
Instead, approximate estimates were presented during the roundtable by Alexander Rak, a representative of the NGO “Passengers of Kyiv.”
8 “We have calculated that over the year (due to the suspension of public transport during air alerts, – ed.) there was a shortfall of 2.5 billion hryvnias in gross regional product,” he stated.
In turn, Mykola Povoroznyk, the first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, reported that nearly 8 billion hryvnias were allocated for public transport subsidies last year, and this year they plan to allocate 9 billion, although in the long term this figure may rise to 11 billion. However, he did not specify what portion of the losses that need to be covered this way arose specifically due to the suspension of movement during alerts.
9 “Of course, public transport incurs losses due to the stoppage. But our primary task is passenger safety. If we talk about losses for public transport, I will ask another question: what is the value of a human life? And who should force a bus, trolleybus, or tram driver to neglect safety and drive during an air alert?” he asked.
In response, the head of the Kyiv City Council’s budget committee, Andriy Vitrenko, noted that the danger does not diminish just because tens of thousands of Kyiv residents are forced to stand at stops that are not equipped with shelters after an alert is announced.
“According to analytical reports from civic organizations involved in Kyiv's transport sector, approximately 80 to 100 thousand people are simultaneously in the city and using public transport during an air alert,” said Andriy Vitrenko.
0 At the same time, the deputy asked the director of the transport department of the Kyiv City State Administration, Ruslan Kandybor, how many times he had approached the Kyiv City Council, particularly the budget committee, with a proposal to equip shelters at public transport stops. Kandybor referred to the lack of certified structures.
“Today, there is not a single certified structure that could be installed at a stop. If such a structure is proven to exist and there is an opportunity to install it, we will advocate for the allocation of funds and the execution of such work,” he promised.
At the same time, Kandybor inadvertently “leaked” information about his like-minded colleague Mykola Povoroznyk, revealing the number of drivers willing to work during air alerts without any compulsion.
1 “We conducted a survey among drivers regarding their attitude towards operating during an air alert. And 80 percent of drivers said: ‘We don’t care, we can drive, but we won’t take any responsibility for it,’” said the head of the transport department.
Suggestions and Remarks
During the discussion, supporters of lifting the transport stoppage repeatedly pointed out to the representatives of the Kyiv City State Administration that during air alerts, minibuses and taxis freely move around the city, and instead of heading to shelters (which are absent at stops), Kyiv residents simply switch from public transport to commercial transport.
Expert from the NGO “Passengers of Kyiv,” Alexander Rak, proposed a compromise solution: to stop public transport only in cases of heightened danger, as is done in Ivano-Frankivsk.
“They have developed the following scheme: there is a certain procedure when the military informs the administration that, conditionally, a missile is heading towards Frankivsk. They then manually stop transport. Generally, it continues to operate during an air alert,” Alexander Rak explained.
According to him, the NGO “Passengers of Kyiv” suggested that the Kyiv City Military Administration implement a similar algorithm in the capital.
“Two levels of danger: a regular air alert and heightened danger. Accordingly, certain actions take place based on these levels. So, at the yellow level, the driver needs to understand what the next shelters are along the route, and if the red level is reached – then immediately stop transport near the shelter,” the expert clarified.
However, this option was criticized by lawyer and serviceman Alexander Strokhan.
2 “Unfortunately, this is impossible. Currently, the Air Forces cannot even predict closely whether we will have a yellow level of danger now and then an increased level. Because a ballistic missile is very fast – up to 8,000 km per hour. Accordingly, right now, an operator in the Air Forces will see it, and then suddenly – it’s already in Kyiv literally within thirty seconds,” he said.
Instead, Alexander Strokhan suggested enhancing the protection of the driver’s cabin from potential falling debris while also increasing the number of municipal transport vehicles, but at the same time allowing the driver to take only as many passengers during an alert as there are seats available.
Questions of Responsibility
During the discussion, the head of the Kyiv Military Administration, Timur Tkachенко, noted that the Kyiv City State Administration has yet to explain on what basis it made the decision to prohibit public transport movement during air alerts.
3 “The first thing I started analyzing this situation with is the official documents and information that I requested as the new head of the military administration, based on which the respective decision was made. It should be noted that aside from the decision itself, no analytical or informational materials were provided. The military's position has also not been officially provided to make the respective decision. Therefore, in my opinion, this issue needs to be examined in more detail,” Timur Tkachенко stated.
He also returned to the claim of the supposed lack of certified protective structures that could be installed at public transport stops.
“When I was communicating with representatives of the administration and the city mayor, I was told that there are no relevant building codes, although this is not true, because building codes (DBN) apply exclusively to construction, and we are talking about structures according to which there are State Standards (DSTU) and the experience of other cities, which is quite successful,” Tkachенко emphasized.
4 The head of the Kyiv Military Administration noted that in the absence of shelters, forcibly discharging passengers during an air alert only exposes people to additional danger.
“I understand why this decision was made – it absolves responsibility from the people who made this decision in case a situation arises. But we are indeed in our positions to take responsibility, to ensure that, first and foremost, it is comfortable and safe,” said the head of the Kyiv Military Administration.
Timur Tkachенко also reminded that Kyiv residents have repeatedly submitted petitions regarding the lifting of the ban on public transport movement during air alerts.
“Therefore, this decision needs to be reviewed, and it should be done as soon as possible, as the residents of Kyiv demand it,” concluded the head of the Kyiv Military Administration.
Yuliya TYENENYOVA