On November 10, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed the draft law No. 5651-2 in the second reading, which introduces amendments to specific legislative acts regarding transport fare concessions and various other benefits. 235 people's deputies voted in favor of the document, as reported by the parliamentary press office on Telegram. As explained by the Verkhovna Rada, this concerns a "new mechanism for providing transport fare concessions in public transport," which is intended to streamline the current system and make it more transparent for passengers and carriers.
What the bill provides for
A key innovation of the document is the introduction of a unified automated system for recording fare payments. In parallel, the bill provides for a transition to an targeted monetary form of implementing benefits, meaning a mechanism where compensation for travel is provided on a targeted basis rather than as an abstract right. Furthermore, it is proposed to establish the e-ticket as the primary document for confirming the right to concessional travel. Thus, paper confirmations and fragmented forms of record-keeping should gradually give way to a unified digital model.
Justification: eliminating conflicts and gaps
In the explanatory memorandum to the document, the necessity of its adoption is justified by the urgent need to eliminate legal conflicts and legislative gaps in the provisions of regulations governing the provision of travel concessions. The authors of the bill emphasize that the existing system contains contradictions that cause the right to a concession to be implemented inconsistently. The passage of this law, they say, should resolve these contradictions and provide clear rules for all participants — from carriers to privileged categories of citizens.
Context: travel prices and current concessions
The passage of the law comes amid an ongoing discussion about public transport fares and which types of transport offer concessions for specific categories, including students, as well as limits on travel passes. Previously, our publication reported on current transport prices in Kyiv and who in Ukraine is entitled to free travel in general. The new mechanism embedded in draft law No. 5651-2 is intended to serve as a legal basis for the subsequent implementation of a unified recording system and targeted payments, which in the future will affect millions of passengers using concessions.
