In Vinnytsia, it was determined how public transport will operate during a blackout

In Vinnytsia, it was checked how the city will maintain transport connectivity in the event of a prolonged blackout: on November 8, training was conducted here to assess the readiness of the system to operate without electricity and to quickly respond to failures. The city council explained that the goal is to identify weaknesses and optimize the work of services. This is reported by CVD.

What was specifically tested in Vinnytsia's transport

The training was not just a technical test - it was a verification of the interaction between transport services, dispatchers, informing passengers, and the ability of the system to make decisions in real time. The Vinnytsia transport company is already working on updating the transportation plan in case of power outage and expanding the use of trolleybuses with autonomous drive.

Throughout the day, 284 units of transport were on the routes: autonomous trolleybuses, buses, and minibuses. Some urban routes were adjusted, while others were completely replaced by minibuses:

• Buses 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 30, and 32 operated on a weekend schedule; 

• Routes 1, 2, 8, 14, and 16 did not operate due to duplication by minibuses.

How movement was tracked and where problems arose

Controllers and accountants were on duty at key stops, helping passengers and collecting data on movement. Minibuses operated in all directions and additionally transported passengers from the train station to Electromesh, Barskoye highway, Vishyanka, and Knyaziv Koriatovychiv street.

Despite the preparation, during peak hours from 10:00 to 11:30, delays occurred on the most popular routes. A failure was also observed during the day: due to an increase in private transport, it was not possible to synchronize the movement of buses with trolleybuses on autonomous drive everywhere.

Conclusions and next steps

Experts emphasize that such tests are necessary to identify weaknesses and improve the system. According to the head of operations at the Vinnytsia Transport Company, Mykola Zaverukha, on the test day, connections with Vishyanka towards the train station, Vodokanal, Barskoye highway were added, and autonomous trolleybuses were launched between Pyrohov Hospital and the Kozyubynskyi Museum to relieve the city center.