The new methodology for calculating tariffs for road passenger transportation on regular routes in inter-district and district communication was approved at a government meeting on October 15.
According to the document, operators of road passenger transportation will independently set tariffs on regular routes. They are given the right to apply a tariff exceeding the maximum limit for a specific regular service, if the actual costs and expenses for the maintenance of this service are not covered.
The determination of the costs and expenses of a road transport operator to operate a route is made by including all direct and allocable material costs, except fuel costs, driver’s wages and bus terminal charges. The calculation includes administrative costs (calculated in proportion to mileage), operating costs (oils, filters, tires, brakes, etc.), repair costs, depreciation and additional costs (insurance, technical inspection).
The National Road Transport Agency (ANTA) controls the application of tariffs by operators for tariffs on inter-district routes and local authorities for tariffs on district routes.
Operators are obliged to place a notice in each vehicle operating on regular routes indicating the applicable tariff for the relevant period.
“The new methodology will help balance the interests of operators of road passenger transportation and will contribute to the protection of consumers of these services, renewal of the bus fleet, ensuring the economic sustainability of transport operators and affordability of the cost for passengers,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Vladimir Bolya.
It should be noted that in 2024, road passenger transport (buses and minibuses) carried 105 million passengers, which is 22.9% more than the previous year. Of these, 93.8 million (89.3%) were served in urban and suburban service, 9.4 million (9%) in inter-district service, and 1.8 million passengers (1.7%) in international service. The total mileage by buses and minibuses during the analyzed period amounted to 3,073.1 million passenger-kilometers, which is 1.6% more than in the previous year.
According to ANTA, there were 765 operators in the road passenger transportation industry in 2024, providing both scheduled and non-scheduled services. They use 6,676 buses, of which: 676 units (10%) are under 10 years old; 2,778 (42%) are between 10 and 20 years old; 2,654 (40%) are between 20 and 30 years old; and 566 units (8%) are over 30 years old. Most operators are small and medium-sized enterprises with relatively small fleets of vehicles.
