---
title: "Kiev Launches Temporary Bus No. 1-M Across the Metro Bridge: Full Route and Air-Alert Context"
description: "From 3 September, a temporary bus No. 1-M has been operating in Kiev on the route \"Palace of Sports — Lesna metro.\" 12 vehicles work on the line during peak hours. The route does not replace the above-ground metro section but complements existing inter-bank connections."
date: 2026-09-03T10:28:03.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kiev-temporary-bus-1m-metro-bridge-route
tags: [kyiv-transport, bus-route-1m, metro-metro-bridge, kyiv-metro, public-transport, svytoshynska-line]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Kiev Launches Temporary Bus No. 1-M Across the Metro Bridge: Full Route and Air-Alert Context

![Yellow articulated city bus in Kyiv on the temporary route 1-M across the Metro Bridge](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/kiev-vremennoy-avtobus-1m-mezhdu-beregami-marshrut/kiev-vremennoy-avtobus-1m-mezhdu-beregami-marshrut-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- From 3 September 2026, a temporary bus route No. 1-M "Palace of Sports — Lesna metro" has been launched in Kiev
- 12 buses operate on the route during peak hours; the route runs along the non-operating above-ground section of the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska metro line
- KCAS emphasises that No. 1-M is a temporary and additional service, not a full replacement for the metro
- The launch of the route is linked to the Kyiv Defence Council's appeal to the government to ease transport restrictions during alerts

From 3 September 2026, a temporary additional bus route No. 1-M began operating in Kiev, linking the Palace of Sports with Lesna metro station. This was announced by the Kyiv City State Administration (KCAS), while the route details and operating conditions were disclosed by the municipal enterprise "Kyivpasstrans." The new service is intended to provide an additional connection between the right and left banks of the capital under conditions in which the above-ground section of the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska metro line is not functioning in normal mode.

### Route and logistics: 12 buses during peak hours

According to "Kyivpasstrans," 12 buses will be operating simultaneously on route No. 1-M during peak passenger flow. The vehicle travels through the city centre, crosses the Metro Bridge, and proceeds along Brovarskyi Avenue to Lesna metro station and back. KCAS emphasises that route No. 1-M is a temporary and additional bus service and does not constitute a full replacement for the operation of the above-ground metro section. This is a fundamental caveat: the authorities position the bus as an auxiliary tool rather than a long-term infrastructure replacement.

### Full route: from Esplanadna to Brovarskyi Avenue

The buses follow the following route: Esplanadna St. – Rohnedynska St. – Shota Rustaveli St. – Basseina St. – Mechnykova St. – Klovskyi Descent – Krepostnoy Lane – Mykhailo Hrushevskyi St. – Knyaziv Ostrozhkykh St. – Generala Almazova St. – Starynavodnytska St. – Mykola Mykhnovskyi Blvd. – Naberezhne Highway – Metro Bridge – Brovarskyi Ave. – Raisy Okipnoi St. – Serhiy Nabokoh Square – Yevhen Svetyuk St. – Brovarskyi Ave. – Hryhoriy Narbut Ave. – Andriy Malysko St. – Brovarskyi Ave. – Hetmana Pavla Polubotka St. – overpass over Brovarskyi Avenue – Kyoto St. – Brovarskyi Ave. – Metro Bridge – Naberezhne Highway – Mykola Mykhnovskyi Blvd. – Navodnytska Square – Starynavodnytska St. – Generala Almazova St. – Knyaziv Ostrozhkykh St. – Mykhailo Hrushevskyi St. – Krepostnoy Lane – Klovskyi Descent – Mechnykova St. – Basseina St. – Esplanadna St. Thus, the route covers the key arteries of the right bank, the central section with a crossing via the Metro Bridge, and a significant part of the left bank along Brovarskyi Avenue.

### Context: not the only connection between the banks

KCAS reminds that buses No. 21, 22, 51, 55, 73, 91, 101, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 118, as well as trolleybuses No. 47 and 50, already operate between the right and left banks of Kiev. The launch of No. 1-M does not cancel or fully duplicate these routes — it is intended to address a specific gap in connectivity along the axis corresponding to the non-operating above-ground metro section. Nevertheless, given that 12 vehicles are deployed to the line during peak hours, one can speak of a significant increase in the transport load on the Metro Bridge and the adjacent road infrastructure.

### Political background: the Defence Council's appeal to the government

The launch of the temporary route takes place against the backdrop of broader discussions in Kiev about transport accessibility under conditions of regular air alerts. Previously, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the capital's Defence Council had appealed to the government with a request to amend the city's safety protocols. In particular, Kiev is asking to ease the curfew, not to restrict the operation of the Syretska-Pecherska metro line during alerts, and not to introduce restrictions on car traffic between the left and right banks within the city. The goal of these initiatives is to enable residents to reach home or shelters faster. In this context, bus No. 1-M appears not merely as a transport measure but as an element of a comprehensive strategy to maintain population mobility under heightened threat.

### What this means for passengers

For residents of the right bank whose daily travel to the left bank previously relied on the above-ground section of the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska line, the appearance of No. 1-M means the emergence of a predictable ground-based alternative route with a clear connection to the metro at both ends. At the same time, the "temporary" status leaves open the question of how long the route will operate and whether it will be extended, shortened, or transformed into a permanent one. KCAS has not so far specified the exact timeframe during which No. 1-M will function, which creates a certain degree of uncertainty for planning trips.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [An additional bus between the right and left banks launched in Kiev: how it will run](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kievi-zapustili-dodatkoviy-avtobus-mizh-pravim-1788431111.html) - Подтверждает запуск маршрута №1-М с 3 сентября, количество автобусов (12), статус «временный и дополнительный», полный маршрут, перечень существующих межбереговых маршрутов, контекст обращения Совета обороны.
- [A temporary bus across the Metro Bridge to be launched in Kiev: what is the route](https://www.unian.net/economics/transport/avtobus-1-m-zapuskayut-v-kieve-kogda-i-kak-on-budet-kursirovat-novosti-kieva-13488189.html) - Подтверждает запуск временного автобуса через мост Метро, маршрут и условия курсирования. Данные согласованы с версией РБК-Украина и КГГА.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When did bus No. 1-M start operating in Kiev?
**A:** Route No. 1-M began operating on 3 September 2026. It connects the Palace of Sports with Lesna metro station via the Metro Bridge.

### Q: Is bus No. 1-M a replacement for the above-ground metro section?
**A:** No. KCAS explicitly states that route No. 1-M is a temporary and additional bus service and does not constitute a full replacement for the operation of the above-ground section of the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska metro line.

### Q: How many buses operate on route No. 1-M during peak hours?
**A:** According to the municipal enterprise "Kyivpasstrans," 12 buses operate simultaneously on the route during peak passenger flow.

### Q: What other routes connect the right and left banks of Kiev?
**A:** Buses No. 21, 22, 51, 55, 73, 91, 101, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 118 and trolleybuses No. 47, 50 already operate between the banks. Route No. 1-M complements, rather than replaces, these directions.

### Q: For how long has route No. 1-M been launched?
**A:** KCAS designates the route as "temporary," however, the specific duration of its operation or the conditions for its extension have not been announced as of the time of publication.