‘We’re out of the loop’: Protests against the 30 UAH fare are taking place again in Kyiv

The main slogan of the protest is ‘We’re out of the loop’, written on a banner designed to look like a boxing glove. The protesters consider the new fare to be socially unjust. Among their proposals are a reduction in fares or linking the fare to the minimum wage.

Transport is a right, not a commodity! We won’t let this blow go unchallenged!, declare the organisers.

Activists: the authorities are passing on the costs to residents

According to Vitaliy Dudin, a representative of ‘Social Movement’, the current protest is a continuation of a campaign that began back in June.

To be honest, this isn’t the first time we’ve come out here. We started this campaign back in June. As early as 11 June, when rumours first began to circulate that our mayor, Vitali Klitschko, was determined to increase fares on all forms of public transport, said Dudin.

He stated that, during the campaign, the activists had come to the conclusion that, in their view, the city authorities were attempting to resolve financial problems at the expense of the community.

When it faces any problems, it will, first and foremost, resolve them at the expense of the public, at the expense of the public, rather than at the expense of those very wealthy people who have concentrated power, wealth, luxury and so on in their own hands, the activist noted.

He also criticised the authorities’ claim that the average wage in Kyiv is around 50,000 hryvnias.

I would like to point out that the increase in transport fares in Kyiv was cynically justified on the grounds that the average salary in Kyiv is 50,000 hryvnias. Mayor Klitschko has not proved that the majority of people in Kyiv can afford a fare of 3,600 hryvnias, said the activist.

According to him, when adopting fare policies, the authorities must take into account the incomes of people working, in particular, in the education and healthcare sectors.

‘Where did this average wage come from?’

Another representative of ‘Social Movement’, Оleksii Hromov, cast doubt on the calculations used to determine the new tariff.

The mayor doesn’t even provide the calculations for this so-called cost price that he cites when raising tariffs. And do you know why he doesn’t provide the calculations? Because it would become clear at what prices they bought the diesel and where they embezzled the money, said Gromov.

According to him, the public should be given the opportunity to scrutinise the expenditure of transport companies.

The authorities cite figures that are simply made up, plucked out of thin air, and use this as a pretext to raise our fares. Why on earth should we put up with this? said the activist.

Gromov also questioned the use of the average wage in Kyiv as an argument in favour of the fare increase.

No one explains where they got this mythical average wage of 50,000 hryvnias from, he said.

Activists suggest using the minimum wage as a benchmark

Activist Nadiia highlighted the social consequences of the fare increase. In her view, the benchmark should be the minimum wage, not the average wage.

Why should we use the minimum wage as a benchmark, specifically the minimum wage? Because we are all citizens of Ukraine, and we all have the right to travel. It doesn’t matter what wage you earn — whether it’s the minimum or the average — everyone should be able to use this transport, she said.

According to the campaigner, public transport should not be accessible only to people whose incomes match the average.

Transport shouldn’t be accessible only to people earning this fictitious average wage, said Nadiia.

Konstantin, an activist with the USL, drew attention to students as one of the groups most vulnerable to fare increases.

The 30-hryvnia fare is, first and foremost, a blow to the socially vulnerable sections of the population, which have always included students. In many cases, these are poor people who have come to study, who have come to the Ukrainian capital in search of knowledge.” And how are they coping with this now? Or is the ‘thirty’ actually acceptable given that their grants are only two or three thousand?, he said.

For her part, Nataliia Zemlianska, head of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Industrial Workers and Entrepreneurs, pointed out that, for the time being, some Kyiv residents can still use the tickets they managed to buy at the old price.

On 14 September, the discounted tickets will no longer be valid, and then we will see what the workers of Kyiv have to say – those who work every day not for a salary of fifty thousand hryvnias, but for a salary of fifteen thousand or twenty thousand hryvnias. We will see purchasing power collapse. We will see small businesses simply closing down, because people will not be buying anything from them, as all their money will go on getting to work. And then people will ask themselves, ‘Why bother going to work when it’s draining the family budget? she emphasised.

Activists cite the experience of other cities

Oleksandr, an activist with ‘Social Movement’, cited Tallinn as an example where public transport is free for city residents.

Every resident of the city can travel for free — whether by tram, bus or trolleybus. And this is a city where the average wage is the same as in Kyiv. So why should we, the people of Kyiv, have to pay such high fares?, he said.

According to the activist, free or subsidised public transport is also available in other cities.

These include Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, and even Tallinn and Tartu, said Oleksandr.

The protest is not just about fares, but also about the right to influence decisions

A spokesperson for the ‘Pryama Diya’ student union stated that the protest is not just about the cost of travel.

This protest is not just about making our transport affordable. It is about our right to the city, so that we can genuinely influence the decisions taken in the city, because citizens are completely ignored, he said.

According to him, the capital’s residents are not sufficiently involved in the decision-making process.

Absolutely all decisions are taken quickly, without any discussion. And this isn’t just about transport. It’s about everyone who is in this building right now — everyone who believes they can make decisions without listening to citizens at all, said the activist.

‘Pryama Diya’ also highlighted other protests in Kyiv — in particular, those against the felling of trees in Teremky and in the Markhalivsky Forest. According to the activists, the authorities have also tried to ignore their demands.

The Kyiv City State Administration’s Public Council has called for the increase to be cancelled

At the same time, the fare issue had already been considered by the Public Council attached to the Kyiv City State Administration. On 16 July, following public hearings, it appealed to the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, demanding that the order to increase fares be revoked, that the fare be returned to 8 hryvnias, and that a new public consultation be held.

The Public Council also proposed that, following the new consultation, the issue of fare prices be reviewed again, taking into account suggestions from the public.

However, despite this decision, the 30 UAH fare remains in force. Those taking part in the current protest claim that the authorities have failed to take into account the Public Council’s position and the protesters’ demands. Protests against the fare increase have been ongoing since June. In particular, demonstrations took place on 11 June, 14 and 16 July, and 11 August. Participants demanded that the city authorities review their decision and reduce the fare back to 8 UAH.

The Kyiv City State Administration attributes the fare increase to rising costs for transport companies in terms of electricity, fuel, labour costs, and the repair and maintenance of rolling stock. According to calculations by transport operators, an economically justified fare for 2026 would be 64.60 UAH per metro journey and 44.14 UAH for overground transport.