Who will benefit from the new fare payment system in the capital

Starting July 15, 2026, Kyiv may introduce a new public transport payment model following the example of European cities. Plans include creating a single-use ticket for various types of transport. Oleksandr Rak, head of the NGO "Passengers of Kyiv," told an UNN journalist whether this would be beneficial for passengers and carriers.

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According to the expert, the current system in Kyiv is illogical and inconvenient for passengers who frequently transfer from one mode of transport to another. He explains that currently, people are forced to buy many single-trip tickets, although in most European cities, the main focus is on travel passes. Oleksandr Rak also emphasizes that the public transport fare does not play a decisive role, as the system is largely subsidized by the city budget.

If I use public transport in Kyiv now, I buy a bunch of single trips. But if a person uses transport frequently, they shouldn't buy single trips—it's more profitable for them to use a travel pass. This is exactly how the system works in European cities. There, a single trip can cost several euros, but local residents buy passes that make trips significantly cheaper. At the same time, in Kyiv, transport is 75-80% subsidized from the budget, so the fare is rather a balance between affordability for people and the city's ability to finance the system,

He also draws attention to the problem of transfers in the capital. According to him, currently, a passenger can travel across the entire city by metro for 8 hryvnias, but when transferring from a bus or trolleybus, they are forced to pay again.

Kyiv has a rather strange system where you can enter the metro for 8 hryvnias and go to the other end of the city. But if you take a bus or trolleybus and transfer, you pay 8 hryvnias again. This is illogical, as we are talking about the municipal transport of one city. We propose a single ticket for 20 hryvnias with a transfer, so that a person can make a full trip across the city. And a monthly unlimited pass, in our opinion, should cost about 1,000 hryvnias,

The NGO "Passengers of Kyiv" calculated that such a model would significantly increase revenue from ticket sales. According to Oleksandr Rak, revenues could almost double—to approximately 5 billion hryvnias. At the same time, the main focus is not on making transport more expensive for regular passengers, but on the contrary, on stimulating the use of public transport.

Last year, the city received about 2.5 billion hryvnias from ticket sales. If the system we propose is introduced, revenues could double. But the main thing is that people will not be forced to constantly buy single tickets. They will simply purchase a pass and be able to ride as much as needed. This is more profitable for both passengers and the city,

He adds that a similar system is already working in Lviv, where all carriers—both municipal and private—are united into a single network. There, a monthly unlimited pass costs about 1,150 hryvnias, while a single trip is significantly more expensive.

Lviv also followed the European direction. Accordingly, a single trip costs 30 hryvnias in cash, and an unlimited monthly pass is approximately 1,150 hryvnias. And importantly, it is valid both in municipal transport and with private carriers. That is, a person buys one pass and can use the city's entire transport system,

According to the activist, it is this approach that gradually changes the transport habits of city residents. When a passenger has already paid for a pass, they will more often choose public transport instead of a car. This, in turn, helps reduce traffic jams and the load on the roads. In addition, the level of air pollution from exhaust fumes will also decrease.

In European cities, everything is simplified as much as possible. A person buys a pass and doesn't think about the number of trips or transfers. This is also a tool for managing city mobility. If a person already has a pass, they more often choose public transport rather than a car. And the city is interested in people using cars less, because they are the ones creating traffic jams,

At the same time, the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) proposes a different fare cost. It will depend on the number of trips purchased.

At the same time, according to the KCSA, an unlimited monthly pass for the metro, bus, tram, trolleybus, and funicular will cost 4,875 UAH. 

Preferential conditions are maintained for students and pupils. Thus, students will pay 50% of the cost of a monthly pass, and pupils during summer holidays will pay 25% (during the school year—free of charge),

Separately, they plan to introduce a transfer ticket costing 60 UAH. It will allow transfers between the metro and ground transport within 90 minutes without restrictions.

Special unlimited passes are provided for city guests: for 24 hours – 375 UAH; for 48 hours – 563 UAH; for 72 hours – 750 UAH.

Also, the KCSA emphasizes that trips purchased on a transport card before July 14, 2026, will remain valid until September 14, 2026.