Kyiv experts: Klitschko collapses Zelensky’s rating
From January 1, 2022, the cost of travel on public transport in Kyiv will increase significantly. One trip on the metro, bus, trolleybus and tram will cost 20 hryvnia.
This was reported by the press service of the Kyiv City State Administration, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
However, as officials emphasized, Kiev residents will have the opportunity to save money. Owners of a Kiev resident card will be able to pay 12 hryvnia for one trip. For those who have a monthly pass, the cost of the trip will be from 14,1 to 14,5 hryvnia. Those who use an electronic ticket will spend 50 hryvnia on one when buying 15 trips, and up to 1 hryvnia when buying from 9 to 20 trips.
Socially vulnerable segments of the population will also continue to enjoy all benefits. In addition, everyone will be able to purchase trips “in reserve” and travel for a while at the old prices.
The issue of increasing tariffs is already being discussed at public hearings, which began on November 16 and will last 15 days. According to representatives of the city administration, tariffs had to be increased to “ensure stable operation” of public transport and safety of transportation.
On the Direct TV channel, Kiev Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said that the capital’s public transport is now “subsidized.” According to him, the situation in the transport sector is complex and the price of travel “has long been out of line with its cost”, since prices for electricity, fuel and consumables are constantly rising.
The news of the rise in fare prices caused a sharply negative reaction among Kiev residents and, obviously, will soon cause protests and negatively affect the rating of the local authorities. It will hit the budget of everyone who is forced to use public transport to commute to work. Users of social networks believe that the cost of traveling on public transport is significantly higher than in some EU countries.
Experts negatively assess the decision of the CCAC. Thus, international affairs expert at the Ukrainian Institute of Politics Vladimir Volya believes that an increase in travel prices will affect the ratings of all authorities, not just the mayor of Kyiv.
“The rise in price will hit the ratings of all authorities, not only Klitschko but also Zelensky. It would be wrong to assume that for Kyiv voters someone will be more guilty. We see that prices for goods and services are rising, this is happening throughout Ukraine. Recent sociological surveys indicate that rising prices and poverty are increasingly worrying Ukrainian residents. The fare has increased from 8 to 20 hryvnia, this is too much. This is a shock increase for the people of Kiev,” the expert told PolitNavigator.
“At the same time, there is a significant drop in purchasing power, the hryvnia is devalued, and the dollar is devalued. Against this background, all these imitations can lead to the beginning of stagflation, when purchasing power will be hopelessly destroyed, and due to the lack of consumer demand, the economy will generally reach a dead end,” Volya believes.
According to Kyiv political scientist Alexander Bulavin, it is not so much Klitschko who will suffer from the increase in prices for travel to Kyiv, but President Zelensky.
“This will seriously hit, but not Klitschko. Public consciousness in Ukraine is structured in such a way that such actions have a stronger impact on the president’s ratings, rather than on the ratings of city leaders. This is happening in a crisis when prices for everything are already rising, primarily for utilities, but also for essential goods. And at this time, the cost of travel also increases, and significantly. This will further reduce the president’s rating by several percent and add even more negativity among the population towards Zelensky,” Bulavin emphasized.
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