Ukraine wants to launch subsidized bus routes to villages: the Ministry of Infrastructure is preparing new rules

The Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine has prepared two draft laws that are to introduce a mechanism for public service obligations (PSO) in passenger transportation. These are rail and road transport. The documents are planned to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by the end of 2026.

This was reported by First Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine.

One of the key tasks of the reform is to create a legal mechanism for organizing bus routes that are important for communities, but economically unprofitable for private carriers.

Buses will be able to travel to places where it is unprofitable for carriers

According to Derkach, currently regions cannot actually appoint carriers for public service routes under the subsidy model. Instead, commercial competitions are held.

This creates a problem with routes to remote settlements, where low passenger traffic or poor road conditions make transportation unprofitable.

Carriers are simply not interested in participating in tenders for such routes.

The introduction of the PSO mechanism should allow the state or local authorities to order socially necessary transportation even when the route cannot operate exclusively on commercial terms.

Changes are also being prepared for the railways

The second bill concerns the application of the PSO mechanism in railway passenger transportation.

According to the First Deputy Minister, the adoption of relevant legislation is also one of the conditions of the Ukraine Facility program with the European Union.

Currently, both bills are being approved by other state authorities.

The ministry plans to separately explain their provisions, since the PSO mechanism itself is complex and provides for a new model of organizing socially important transportation for the Ukrainian transport system.

They want to create a transport accident investigation bureau in Ukraine

In parallel, the Ministry of Infrastructure is working on another legislative innovation.

In September 2026, the ministry plans to submit to the Verkhovna Rada a bill on the creation of the National Bureau for the Investigation of Transport Accidents.

Derkach expressed hope that this document will be able to quickly pass parliamentary consideration.

It will be more difficult to pass a separate transport commission through the Rada

Another planned reform is the creation of a National Commission that will carry out state regulation in the transport sector.

The corresponding bill is included in the Government’s Action Plan. At the same time, Derkach predicts that its passage through the parliamentary Committee on Transport and Infrastructure may be difficult.

According to the Cabinet of Ministers’ program of activities, legislative initiatives to create a transport regulator and a National Bureau for the Investigation of Transport Accidents should be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada during 2026–2027.