MAPA: 30% of carriers on the Ukrainian international bus transport market are illegal

Of the more than 20,000 regular bus carriers operating from Ukraine to other countries, 30% are operating illegally. This assessment was made by Alona Veklich, director of the public association “Interethnic Association of Carriers and Bus Stations” (MAPA), citing data from association members and information from the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.

According to her, in order to be able to leave Ukraine, illegal carriers obtain one of the licenses that grants the corresponding right but does not allow them to operate regular flights. With these licenses, carriers can cross the border as regular passenger vehicles, without registering in the eCherga online booking system, which is required for regular bus carriers.

The largest number of illegal international carriers operate with licenses for:

• International taxis. As of January 1, 2025, Ukrtransbezpeka had issued a total of 233 such permits, says Veklich.
• Provision of international transportation services by passenger cars on request. A total of 978 such licenses have been issued.

In addition, some of the 3,074 businesses that have obtained licenses for international bus transportation are only authorized to operate charter flights, but approximately 20% of them operate regular flights.

Requirements for regular international flights

To carry out international passenger transportation by bus, carriers must obtain the appropriate license from the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety (Ukrtransbezpeka). Subsequently, companies must obtain a permit to carry out regular international passenger transportation. They must also open an international route, specifying the flight schedule and rolling stock. As of January 1, Ukrtransbezpeka had issued 10,788 such permits. According to the state portal autobus.gov.ua, there are currently 1,091 open international routes. For irregular transportation, companies can purchase one-time permits to a specific country.

Illegal international passenger transportation emerged after the start of the full-scale war. Since then, the legal market for international bus transportation has grown several times over. Currently, according to MAPA estimates, it amounts to about UAH 5.25 billion per year.

According to Veklich, illegal international carriers pay significantly less tax. They collect payment from passengers in cash and register as individual entrepreneurs (FOP) under the single tax system for the second and third groups, “paying several thousand hryvnia per month to the budget.” Their monthly income, even if they make only one trip per day, can exceed UAH 100,000 — the carrier charges €250-300 per passenger.

The most common vehicle for illegal international transportation is a converted Mercedes Sprinter minibus with eight passenger seats.

"Illegal buses are usually driven by a single driver. According to the rules established for regular international carriers, two or three drivers must work on routes to other countries," says the director of MAPA.

From June 1, Veklich notes, irregular bus carriers must register with eCherga, which will “cut off a piece of the illegal market.”

“Every day at six in the morning, irregular carriers will no longer be able to operate because the Border Guard Service will see how many times they have crossed the border,” explains the director of MAPA. The penalty for such activity is a fine of UAH 34,000 or revocation of the license.

However, changes to the legislation are required to discontinue regular international flights operated under a license for the “car on demand” service. For such transportation, the company must enter into a contract with passengers. In practice, contracts are not concluded for the purposes of regular international flights, but “there is no such liability for this violation.”

It is provided for in draft law No. 11025 initiated by Ukrtransbezpeka, which has been under consideration in the Verkhovna Rada since February 2024.

"The draft law establishes liability not only for the company but also for the driver. Illegal carriers will be subject to fines. Currently, there are no such grounds — the driver can say that he is transporting relatives, for example", — Veklich explains.

Liability and fines for regular bus carriers are stipulated in Article 60 of the Law of Ukraine on Motor Transport and Article 164 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. In particular, fines are imposed for deviating from the route, for transporting passengers in an unregistered bus, for the absence of documents and a tachograph that records the driver's compliance with the work regime.