In Kyiv, about 1.1 million residents have the right to use public transport for free or at a discount. The Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) claims that the city spends hundreds of millions of hryvnias every year to compensate for privileged transport services, while the burden on the budget continues to grow. This was reported by the Department of Social and Veteran Policy of the KCSA.
Who is entitled to free travel in Kyiv
The city administration clarified that this year nearly 875 million UAH has been allocated in the city budget for the compensation of privileged travel.
Of this amount, 181.7 million UAH is allocated for schoolchildren, students, and cadets.
The largest category of privileged residents remains pensioners — over 570 thousand people.
Additionally, free travel in the capital is granted to:
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combatants;
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people with disabilities of groups I, II, and III;
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children with disabilities;
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those affected by the Chernobyl accident;
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people caring for individuals with disabilities of group I;
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other categories of privileged residents.
KCSA explained the need for tariff increases
The city authorities state that for years the government has not compensated the city for expenses related to free travel for privileged categories, despite such guarantees being provided by law.
The KCSA also reminded that the transport tariff in the capital has not been reviewed since 2018, despite significant increases in the cost of electricity, fuel, and logistics.
According to the city, currently, public transport in Kyiv operates thanks to subsidies from the budget, which have already reached 12 billion UAH.
The city administration notes that discussions on new tariffs are currently ongoing, taking into account costs for salaries, energy resources, and industrial price indices.
The issue of increasing the cost of travel in Kyiv has been actively discussed following the KCSA's statements about a possible increase in the price of a single trip to 30 UAH as early as July 2026.
For Kyiv residents, this means a potential increase in transport costs, although free travel for privileged categories in the capital is promised to be maintained.
It should be noted that Kyiv plans to change the payment system for public transport. The capital aims to introduce a transfer ticket valid for 90 minutes, as well as special unlimited travel passes for tourists and city guests.