In Kyiv, 85 new low-floor buses are operating on 16 city routes. The update strengthens surface transportation, which helps the city also during metro operation restrictions. The Ministry of Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine announces the completion of the project.
The purchase was financed by the European Investment Bank as part of the "Ukrainian Urban Public Transport" program. The cost of the city project is 18.5 million euros. The new buses are already transporting passengers, not just waiting to go into service.
Kyiv's new buses: capacity and accessibility
Each bus is 12 meters long and can carry up to 107 passengers, with 27 seated. For comfortable temperatures inside, air conditioning and heating systems are provided, and screens and audio messages are in place to inform passengers about their journey.
The low floor and ramps simplify boarding for wheelchair users, elderly passengers, and parents with strollers. Special spaces for wheelchairs are equipped inside. Surveillance cameras monitor the situation in the cabins.
For the capital, the buses also serve as a reserve in case of power supply disruptions. Specifically, in January 2026, they temporarily replaced electric transport on both banks of Kyiv following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Public transport update covers ten cities
The Kyiv purchase is part of a nationwide project worth 200 million euros. Besides the capital, the program includes Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Lviv, Lutsk, Sumy, Zaporizhia, Odesa, and Mykolaiv. The European Union additionally provides grant support for technical assistance.
According to Minister Mykola Kalashnyk, cooperation with the EIB helps communities maintain transportation networks during the war. Updating the fleets should make daily trips more accessible, including for injured veterans and other passengers with reduced mobility.
At the same time, Kyiv is working on protecting people while waiting for transport. At the end of September, "Kyivpastrans" announced a tender for 14 mobile shelters for stops. According to the procurement conditions, each structure should accommodate up to 50 people and include places for wheelchairs and strollers.