From August 1, new fares for minivan taxis will come into force in Kyiv. Most private carriers will increase the cost of a trip, which will be another change in the city transport system following the recent price hike for municipal transport.
New fares
Igor Moiseenko, head of the "Association of Carriers of Kyiv and Kyiv Region," reported that the final decision to raise prices was made on July 30. The changes will affect almost all routes:
- On lines where the fare was previously 20 hryvnias, the tariff will rise to 25 hryvnias.
- On routes with a fare of 10 hryvnias, the cost of a trip will increase to 20 hryvnias.
According to Moiseenko, carriers are forced to take this step due to the constant rise in fuel prices, which is observed almost every day.
Driver shortage and legislative barriers
The fare increase is driven not only by fuel costs. Carriers are facing an acute personnel crisis: in Kyiv, there are almost no routes where a shortage of drivers is not felt. The situation was exacerbated by legislative changes that came into force on June 1, which complicated the procedure for reserving drivers from mobilization.
In addition, some workers refuse to work on routes passing through checkpoints. The risk of delays and difficulties with passage make such lines less attractive to employees, creating additional problems for the stable operation of the minivan network.
Rise in transport costs
A significant influence on the price increase was the rising cost of spare parts, lubricants, and other consumables. The rise in the dollar exchange rate made these components significantly more expensive, which substantially increased the cost of passenger transport.
Recall that on July 15, the cost of travel in municipal transport in Kyiv already increased. A trip on the metro, buses, trolleybuses, trams, and the funicular now costs 30 hryvnias. At the same time, passengers can use tickets purchased at the old tariff of 8 hryvnias until mid-September. All existing travel benefits remain unchanged.
