Trukhanov criticizes Lysak's initiative on humanitarian buses

Former Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov criticized the initiative of the head of the Odesa City Military Administration, Serhiy Lysak, to use humanitarian buses for free transportation.

The former mayor called the idea unreasonable and emphasized that using them in this way would cost the city budget 120 thousand hryvnias.

"Today the city has launched them as free buses. But there are several important points. First, finances. Free transportation is never free. Its operation will cost about UAH 120 million a year. These are the costs of fuel, maintenance, repairs, and drivers' salaries. And these costs are not covered out of thin air - they are paid by the citizens of Odesa. Secondly, the staff. This is a specific type of transportation. We need drivers who know how to work with such buses. Today, there are critically few such specialists in the city, and this is a separate issue. Third, competition with electric transportation. When a free alternative appears, people naturally switch to it. As a result, Odesmiskelectrotrans does not receive the funds necessary for the stable operation of trams and trolleybuses. In fact, one mode of transportation survives at the expense of the other. Fourth, responsibility. When we were working, we could not make such decisions without clear mechanisms of compensation from the state. The central government did not consider this topic a priority at the time," the mayor said.

On November 11, the Executive Committee of the Odesa City Council proposed to the Odesa City Military Administration to provide funding for bus maintenance in the amount of almost UAH 10 million by the end of the year.

Кирило Бойко