Will there be free public transport in Ivano-Frankivsk: the city hall responded

The discussion about free public transport, which intensified after the statements of the mayor of Kharkiv, has reached Ivano-Frankivsk. The city authorities explained that formally introducing a zero fare is possible quickly, but in practice, it means a complete change in the approach to financing transportation. This is reported by Pravda IF.

The position of the city council was voiced by Deputy Mayor Mykhailo Smushak. According to him, transport does not become free in the literal sense, as all costs are shifted to the city budget, that is, to taxpayers. He emphasized that such a decision requires significant and stable resources.

Free public transport in Ivano-Frankivsk: the budgetary side of the issue

There are few examples of completely free public transport in the world. At the national level, such a model exists only in Luxembourg, and in a few small cities in France, Sweden, Canada, and Finland. In large cities, this is rather an exception.

In Ukraine, universal free travel has been introduced in Kharkiv and Kryvyi Rih. According to unofficial estimates, Kharkiv alone spends over 2 billion UAH annually on compensating for transportation, which is a significant burden on the budget.

Subsidized travel in Ivano-Frankivsk: what the city already compensates

Ivano-Frankivsk has a wide system of privileges, and the city already covers part of the carriers' expenses. Those eligible for free travel include:

• veterans of wars and combatants;
• persons with disabilities;
• pensioners;
• children from large families;
• Chernobyl disaster mitigators and other privileged categories.

The city council notes that introducing a zero fare for all would mean reducing investments in network development, transport renewal, and infrastructure.

«A strong city is not one where the display says “0 UAH”. A strong city is one where public transport is quality, fast, and predictable», Smushak emphasized.

It should be noted that persons with disabilities have the right to use public transport for free. This applies to persons with disabilities, children with special needs, and one accompanying person.