Kyiv has faced a severe transport crisis amid a prolonged air alert: multi-kilometer traffic jams have formed on the capital's roads, while crowds of passengers trying to get home have gathered at metro stations and public transport stops. This was reported by Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi in his Telegram channel, according to RBC-Ukraine, who added that he personally held an urgent meeting with officials and representatives of the city authorities.
Urgent Meeting and the PM's Directives
According to Koretskyi, the meeting focused specifically on the transport situation in the city. The Prime Minister emphasized that he had ordered the "immediate restoration of proper metro operations in line with the decisions adopted by the government," since people need to get home safely. "There is and cannot be any reason to delay this," he stated, noting that traffic jams, queues, and crowds at stops "contribute neither to the safety nor to the comfort of passengers." Koretskyi added: "Decisions must be implemented! Quickly and with due regard to the current situation in the city. I expect a prompt response from the city authorities. The safety and comfort of people is our shared and unconditional priority."
What Is Happening on the Streets of Kyiv
Problems with movement were also documented in open sources: even before the Prime Minister's statement, photos of traffic jams on the capital's roads, caused by the prolonged air alert, began appearing online. A particular concentration of people was noted near the Zverinetska metro station, as well as at a number of bus stops. This is why the question of stable public transport operations during air alerts has become especially acute: passengers are forced to wait for hours for a ride, which, according to officials, creates additional safety risks.
New Rules from September 10
It should be noted that comprehensive new rules governing the operation of the metro and public transport during air alerts in Kyiv only come into force on September 10. They provide for changes in metro operations, bus routes, and traffic across the capital's bridges depending on the level of danger. In particular, at the "yellow" level the Syretsko-Pecherska line will operate without restrictions, while at the "red" level its operation will be split into two sections. The Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska branch will function during alerts only on the underground section between Akademhorodok and Arsenalna stations.
Contradictory Data
There is a notable inconsistency in the timing and logic of the directives. On the one hand, the Prime Minister demands the "immediate" restoration of metro service "without any reason to delay," "in line with the decisions adopted by the government," i.e. relying on already existing norms. On the other hand, it is precisely from September 10 — three days after the events described — that new, more detailed rules tied to danger levels come into force. Thus, at the moment of the collapse the city was operating under the old, less flexible schemes, while the mechanism that should have alleviated such congestion had not yet been activated. Moreover, some media outlets (including TSN) emphasize that the transport collapse has hit Kyiv "again," pointing to the recurring nature of the problem, whereas the official rhetoric presents the situation as a one-off failure requiring a prompt response from the city authorities.
Thus, the incident has exposed a gap between current practice and the changes being prepared: until September 10 Kyiv continues to operate under the old rules, while the Prime Minister demands immediate results from the city. How exactly the urgent directives and the new regulations will be synchronized will become clear in the coming days.
