Ukraine digitizes the procedure for opening bus routes

The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine has developed a new procedure for opening routes and approving route passports. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development Serhiy Derkach. 

«According to the new procedure, the carrier will be able to offer its route (route plan and schedule) in electronic format and quickly open it based on this electronic application. There will be no need to create a paper route passport, go through bureaucratic procedures, etc... It will be a digital format, we will reduce the time and bureaucracy», — the Deputy Minister said.

According to Oleksandr Dyachenko, Head of the Internal Road Transportation Department of the Ministry of Economic Development, an audit conducted by the Ministry showed that the current regulation does not work.

«The two main orders - Order of the Ministry of Transport No. 278 «Procedure for Development and Approval of a Bus Route Passport» and Order of the Ministry of Infrastructure No. 480 «Procedure for Organizing Passenger and Luggage Transportation by Road» — are working extremely poorly both within the region and at the interregional level. Instead, we propose a holistic procedure, which means that the process of opening a route logically ends with the creation of an electronic document that states what kind of route it is», — said Oleksandr Dyachenko.

Key principles of the new document:

• Opening routes in the ECIS for all transportation organizers, i.e. creating a route through an electronic cabinet. Both organizers and carriers (initially interregional) will have access;
• To open a route, you will need to create 4 documents: a route map, a timetable, a fare, and a driver's work and rest schedule;
• The carrier can independently create an interregional route for submission to the tender;
• All documents are submitted through the ECIS, checked for compliance with the requirements and then the passport can be approved. The approved passport can be submitted to the tender.

«The point is that no more than 2 months should pass from the moment the idea of opening a new route arises to the moment the carrier starts transporting... Digital tender, digital passport, digital permit and all information in the Unified Electronic Register of Routes are digitized and easy», — explained Oleksandr Dyachenko.

According to the ministry, discussions and negotiations on the above document with law enforcement agencies are ongoing. «The main issue of discussion is whether the National Police should approve the route passport. The agreed version of the document will be made public for public discussion», — added the head of the Department of Internal Road Transportation.