Mykolaiv plans free transport: what it will cost the city.

According to inkorr.com: In Mykolaiv, the possibility of implementing free public transport is being discussed. This issue has been raised at the level of local and regional administrations. This was reported by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitaliy Kim

after a meeting with Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych.

Financial costs for free transport

Kim also noted that about 340 million hryvnias is spent annually on maintaining urban electric transport, and an additional 50 million hryvnias will be needed to implement free travel.

“The mayor and I calculated – it is subsidized. Currently, electric transport costs around 340 million hryvnias, and to make it free, we need to add another 50. It’s not much, but nothing is unequivocal,” emphasized the head of the region.

He also stressed that the implementation of this project will require optimizing costs and considering social consequences. There may be a need to reduce some staff:

“We will need to lay off conductors. Of course, we do not want to do this, but there are many social issues that cannot be resolved solely through savings.”

The main costs of transport operation include:

• employees' salaries and maintenance of rolling stock;
• electricity and infrastructure maintenance;
• compensation for privileged transportation;
• upgrading trams and trolleybuses.

History and prospects of free travel

The idea of free travel for Mykolaiv residents is not new. In 2021, the head of the city council's budget committee Fedir Panchenko already proposed to cancel payment for municipal electric transport, as ticket sales covered only 10% of costs.

This proposal again became relevant in the fall of 2025, when on October 31, city council member Tetyana Dombrovska reinitiated the idea of introducing free travel for all residents. Although a final decision has yet to be made, local authorities are considering various funding options to

make moving around the city accessible

If free travel is introduced, it could significantly impact residents' mobility and their financial burden. The topic continues to be actively discussed in city councils, and a decision is expected to be made soon so that stakeholders can consider all the details of implementing this innovation.