Zelensky orders Kyiv free public transport programme and bus reserve
President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi to present a programme offering free travel on Kyiv’s surface public transport and secure a sufficient reserve of buses. The measures are intended to keep transport operating amid metro disruptions and damage to bridges across the Dnipro River.
Key points
- Zelensky assigned Serhii Koretskyi to present a free-travel programme for Kyiv’s surface public transport.
- The government must ensure a sufficient bus reserve and prepare contingency measures for metro and bridge disruptions.
- The prime minister, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council and the interior minister presented reserve transport options for Kyiv.
- A nighttime Russian strike on 7 November damaged the Northern Bridge’s roadway, trolleybus network and power line.
- Restricted traffic resumed on the Northern Bridge, including bus services, with separate lane arrangements by direction.
- Kyiv introduced reserve cross-river transport schemes from 9 November, including timed reversible traffic on the Paton Bridge.
- Zelensky did not specify the programme’s timetable, number of buses, eligibility conditions or funding sources.
Why it matters
The programme and bus reserve could preserve public-transport access and connections between Kyiv’s two banks of the Dnipro when metro services are interrupted or bridges are damaged. They are also intended to reduce the impact of electricity disruptions and attacks on transport infrastructure.
What happened
Zelensky issued the instructions after a selector meeting on the consequences of Russian attacks on infrastructure. He tasked Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi with presenting a free-travel programme for Kyiv’s surface public transport, while the government was told to provide a sufficient bus reserve and develop concrete measures to maintain accessible transport during metro failures or bridge problems. The prime minister, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council and the interior minister presented possible reserve transport schemes. Authorities are determining how much transport is needed and examining traffic reorganisation in parts of Kyiv.
A Russian strike overnight on 7 November damaged the Northern Bridge’s roadway, trolleybus contact network and power line. Traffic was initially closed in both directions, but after an inspection it resumed under restrictions: one lane from the left bank to the right for passenger vehicles and two lanes in the opposite direction for passenger vehicles and cars. Bus traffic across the bridge was restored.
From 9 November, Kyiv introduced reserve cross-river transport schemes. Timed reversible traffic on the Paton Bridge was set to allocate three of its five lanes to the right bank from 07:00 to 10:00 and to the left bank from 16:00 to 20:00. Freight traffic near the Northern Bridge was diverted through the Podil Bridge crossing, while vehicles travelling from the left bank across the Southern Bridge were redirected via the Darnytsia Bridge.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting centres on presidential responsibility, the prime minister’s task of presenting the programme and the government’s role in providing buses and contingency measures. The decision is presented as part of wartime urban resilience following damage to the Northern Bridge and interruptions to electric public transport and metro services. It is also situated alongside broader efforts to restore electricity in Dnipropetrovsk region and prepare international energy support for Ukraine.
Background
Earlier energy-system disruptions forced Kyiv to suspend or restrict surface electric transport and parts of the metro, with buses duplicating some routes. The Northern Bridge was closed after the 7 November strike and reopened with temporary restrictions. Kyiv’s military administration said buses could not fully replace electric transport suspended following the attacks. The city budget for 2026 includes almost UAH 875 million for compensation of fare-exempt travel, including UAH 181.7 million for school pupils, students and cadets.