While Ukrainian cities are massively increasing fares for public transport, Ternopil maintains a stable fare. The city manages to avoid price spikes even amid rising costs for carriers. This is reported by Rovesnyk News.
Unlike Lviv and Zhytomyr, where they are preparing or already reviewing rates due to rising fuel and component costs, Ternopil demonstrates a different model of transport management.
Public transport fares in Ternopil 2026: why prices remain stable
The key factor was the digitization of the payment system. The introduction of the “Ternopilian Card” allowed the city to gain full control over passenger flow and finances.
This provided the opportunity to:
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accurately account for the number of trips
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transparently calculate subsidies for carriers
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minimize “shadow” revenues in the sector
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reduce financial risks for the municipal budget
Thanks to this, the authorities can evenly distribute the costs and not burden passengers.
Public transport in Ternopil: how the economy works without fare increases
The city has also implemented a multi-level cashless payment system, which reduces the operational costs of carriers. This allows for more effective management of revenues and expenditures.
Among the additional factors of stability:
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updating the vehicle fleet
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using energy-efficient transport
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optimizing the route network
As of March 2026, Ternopil remains one of the leaders in the western region in terms of accessibility of transport relative to average incomes.
Against this backdrop, most other cities in Ukraine are forced to review tariffs due to rising costs, highlighting the difference in approaches to managing the transport system.
It should be noted that in Chernivtsi, starting from March 16, the fare in city buses changes. The new fare will be 17 hryvnias, and for students — 8 hryvnias.