In Cherkasy, the fare for public transport will increase for cash payments starting January 1

Starting January 1, 2026, the cash fare in Cherkasy will be increased to 20 hryvnias in minibuses, while the payment via the validator will cost 16 hryvnias. Residents are complaining about the unstable operation of the electronic system and the risks of their cards ending up on the so-called blacklist. This is reported by Suspilne.

Fare: how the tariffs will change and why the city encourages cashless payments

The executive committee’s decision proposes two tariffs:

• 20 UAH for cash payment

• 16 UAH for payment through the validator.

Some passengers are hesitant to use electronic payments due to technical glitches. A resident of Cherkasy, Lydia, shared that validators sometimes do not read the card or display a message about its blocking.

Similar issues are described by Inna, who travels by public transport daily:

«I place my phone next to it – sometimes it works, and on another route, it says the card is on the blacklist. The conductor says to call the company. And if the payment doesn’t go through – you have to pay in cash at a higher rate».

The company Smart-ticket technology explains that a card can end up on the blacklist due to a zero balance or incorrect banking operation.

Validator operation: how many are in the city and what are the most common problems

As of November 30, there are 603 validators operating in Cherkasy. They are installed in 232 vehicles, including 68 trolleybuses. Of this number, 54 devices are set up to account for cash passengers but also accept cashless payments.

The company regularly receives complaints about system errors:

• in November – 820 requests

• 636 of them – inquiries due to cards ending up on the blacklist.

Smart-ticket technology assures that most issues are resolved remotely after checking the balance or updating the settings.

Previously, we wrote that Cherkasy will purchase 44 new trolleybuses with funds from the EBRD.