The Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine initiated changes to the regulation of bus stations
The Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine is introducing new rules for the operation of bus stations, which are aimed at creating an electronic list of bus stations, which will become a mandatory condition for their legal operation. This will allow providing services to both carriers and passengers in accordance with the new standards. The changes were approved within the framework Resolutions No. 176 at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The updated rules provide for the formation of an official List of bus stations, to which owners will be able to include their facilities on a voluntary basis. This will be a significant change from the previous requirements that were in place until 2020, when licensing was actually required. Now the main goal is to create an open and accessible register that will confirm the legality of bus stations and ensure the transparency of their activities.
Deputy Minister Serhii Derkach emphasized that streamlining the operation of bus stations is an important step on the way to improving the quality of passenger transportation. According to him, the creation of an official List will be the first stage in the reform of this industry, after which attention will be focused on raising service standards.
The legislation of Ukraine requires that interregional and international bus routes start and end at bus stations. Making changes to routes or opening new ones will require carriers to confirm that all the specified bus stations are legally functioning and are on the List. Thus, updating of information about all legally operating bus stations will be ensured.
The launch of the List is planned for November 2024. Owners of bus stations will be able to independently add information to it through an electronic form, indicating, in particular, the number of platforms and ticket offices, as well as prices for services for carriers. The process is automated, and all data will be checked with other state registers, which eliminates the possibility of blocking the introduction of new bus stations.
It is noted that all current route permits will remain valid until they expire. The absence of information about bus stations in the List will not be grounds for cancellation of the permit.
According to the new rules, the owner of the bus station is a business entity that provides services on the basis of its own or leased property. To be included in the List, owners must check whether the information about their objects corresponds to the data in the State Register of Real Property Rights.
The new mechanism will make it possible to accurately determine the responsible party in case of complaints about bus station services, which will contribute to the quick resolution of conflicts between carriers and owners. It will also provide open access to information for all participants of passenger transportation, which will support the development of transport infrastructure and improve the quality of passenger service.
