At the initiative of the Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine together with Ukrzaliznytsia, railway stations in Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Berdychiv and Bila Tserkva are included in the electronic List of Ukrtransbezpeka bus stations.
The decision allows for the official opening of new bus routes directly from railway stations, the establishment of legal places for bus operators to work there, and the gradual elimination of spontaneous passenger pick-up and drop-off points near the stations.
The next step is to organize the sale of tickets for bus routes through railway stations and Ukrzaliznytsia services.
In the future, this will become the basis for the introduction of a multimodal ticket that will combine different types of transport within one trip. For example, a passenger will be able to plan a train and bus route and purchase tickets in one service.
This decision is logical in the context of the fact that railway stations have long become important transport hubs, where passengers can quickly transfer from a train to a bus and continue their journey.
“We are working to ensure that all passenger transportation is comfortable and predictable for people. At the same time, it is important that bus stations and carriers operate legally and within the legal framework, and bus routes are formed in accordance with the requirements of current legislation. This issue concerns safety, quality of services and protection of passengers’ rights,” said Serhiy Derkach, First Deputy Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport.
Railway stations already actually perform the function of transport hubs: a significant passenger flow and demand for further bus trips are formed around them. At the same time, some of such transportations are currently carried out from spontaneous boarding points near railway stations. The new approach will allow them to be transferred to a legal system – with a specified departure point, an official route and the ability to purchase a ticket.
Inclusion of a facility in the List of Bus Stations is a mandatory condition for the official provision of relevant services to carriers and passengers.
Currently, more than 400 facilities are included in the electronic List of Bus Stations. The Ministry, together with Ukrzaliznytsia, will continue to work on the development of railway stations as transport hubs and the integration of bus and rail connections. (Infrastructure Ministry)