For refusing to serve passengers in Ukrainian, taxi drivers may be fined up to 5,100 hryvnias. Linguistic ombudsman Olena Ivanovska called all taxi services to check their drivers’ knowledge of the state language after the incident that happened in Kharkiv between a taxi driver and a passenger.
The commissioner for the protection of the state language commented on the case in Kharkiv and emphasized that passengers in transport should be served in the Ukrainian language. She clarified that for violating the language law, fines from 200 to 300 non-taxable minimums are provided, i.e. from 3,400 to 5,100 hryvnias.
Ivanovska reported that in Kharkiv a taxi driver “in a rude and disrespectful manner” refused to serve the passenger in the national language:
“In the video that was published on social networks and the citizen’s complaint, there is a whole “bouquet”. In addition to refusing to serve in Ukrainian and turn off the Russian music, the taxi driver poured out theses from the Kremlin’s methods, in particular regarding the “oppression of the rights of Russian speakers”.
According to her, in connection with this case, an appeal to the National Police and SBU is being prepared, and a decision has been made to initiate state control measures. She emphasized that the taxi driver in Kharkiv, by refusing to speak to the passenger in Ukrainian, violated the requirements of Article 36 of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language”. The ombudsman added that she called on taxi services to thoroughly check drivers’ knowledge of the state language and to respond quickly to passenger complaints.
Recall that on August 25, Olena Ivanovska announced that the Verkhovna Rada plans to ban Ukrainians from singing songs in Russian. According to her, the current legislation currently does not provide for sanctions for artists who sing in Russian.
