The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine is introducing a single modern procedure for opening bus routes, which completely digitalizes the process. From now on, the path from the idea of creating a route to the start of transportation will take place online and without paper documents.
The changes are enshrined in a new order of the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development and are aimed at simplifying procedures, reducing decision-making times, and increasing transparency in the field of passenger transportation. The new model actually replaces the outdated paper mechanism, which for years did not allow opening new routes.
The ministry notes that due to excessive bureaucracy, no new routes have been created in the past 11 years, and competitions were held only for previously established routes. At the same time, the need for stable transport connections, especially in frontline communities, has increased significantly.
The introduction of a digital procedure will allow us to respond quickly to people’s requests – for trips to hospitals, educational institutions or workplaces in other regions, a route can appear in a few weeks, not years.
“We are deliberately abandoning paper and opaque procedures and are moving to a digital model, where a route can be created, checked and launched quickly and clearly,” emphasized the Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba.
For carriers, the new system means the ability to independently initiate the opening of an interregional route through an electronic account. The entire process — from submitting an idea to the first flight — will take no more than two months. All documents will be generated electronically in the Unified Electronic Register, including the route scheme, timetable, fare and driver work schedules.
All information will be stored in the Unified Electronic Register. After creating a digital passport, the route will automatically be put up for an online competition, which minimizes corruption risks and ensures equal conditions for market participants. The ministry emphasizes that this is another step towards European service standards, where passenger safety and convenience are key.
Earlier, the Ministry of Development and Trade announced a competition to determine carriers for 31 interregional bus routes. The vast majority of routes pass through frontline regions, where the war has significantly changed the transport needs and mobility of the population.
