In Kharkiv, free transport will continue, as it is about humanity — Terekhov

Kharkiv does not plan to return to charging for transport in the metro, trolleybuses, and buses. The city authorities will continue to finance the operation of public transport from the budget, despite rising costs for electricity and fuel. Mayor Ihor Terekhov called this decision a support for citizens during the war. This is reported by My Kharkiv.

Why free transport in Kharkiv was decided to be maintained

Mayor Ihor Terekhov stated that Kharkiv will not refuse free public transport. According to him, this is a principled position of the city authorities, which must assist people during wartime.

«There is populism, and there is humanity. What is happening in Kharkiv today is about people and humanity, not populism,» Terekhov said in an interview with «Removskyi Interview».

The mayor emphasized that the cost of maintaining the system does not change the city’s stance.

«And no matter how much it costs, there is no money that would be more expensive than our attitude towards people. Transport in Kharkiv is free. Period,» he stated.

How much Kharkiv spends on free transport in 2026

The exact amount of budget expenditures on free transport in 2025 and 2026 has not been disclosed by Terekhov. He explained this by saying that transport enterprises’ costs are constantly changing.

In particular, since the beginning of the budget year, the prices for fuel and lubricants and electricity have increased. Along with these, the costs of maintaining urban transport are also rising, so, according to the mayor, it is currently difficult to determine the final burden on the budget.

«When we started the budget year, fuel and lubricants were at one price, electricity supply was also at one price. Now everything is rising daily,» the mayor explained.

How public transport in Kharkiv will operate

Free transport will be maintained in the main types of urban public transport - the metro, trolleybuses, and buses. Thus, passengers will not need to pay for each trip regardless of the route.

Terekhov also stated that the refusal of private carriers within Kharkiv was his «categorical position». The city has effectively taken on the organization of transportation and the financial burden related to transport operations.

Free transport in Kharkiv was introduced after the start of the full-scale war. According to the current position of the city authorities, they do not plan to change this model in the near future.