In Mykolaiv, "transfer stations" will be established, and the mayor explained how the "electronic ticket" system will function.

In Mykolaiv, "transfer stations" will be created: the mayor explained how the "electronic ticket" will work

Mykolaiv plans to introduce an "electronic ticket" that will be valid for one hour, allowing residents and visitors to transfer from trams to buses.

Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych provided more details about the transport reform during the "Dialogue" program.

According to him, he envisioned the transport reform in Mykolaiv when he was elected mayor, and it is currently in its final stages.

- We are monitoring all trends regarding transportation in Mykolaiv. The increasing number of people and their demand for transport is evident. We see the number of route taxis operating in this direction. When I became mayor, I stated that reforming the transport infrastructure is one of my top priorities. Back in 2016, we initiated this project... now it is in the concluding phase, - said the mayor.

Oleksandr Senkevych mentioned plans to optimize the operations of two municipal enterprises providing transport services to the public: "Mykolaiv Electric Transport" and "Mykolaiv Passenger Transport".

- Our goal is to ensure that existing routes have sufficient transport available. We aim to increase the number of routes and their coverage throughout the city, providing all residents with equal access to transportation. This includes all remote districts. Our task is to optimize the operations of two enterprises – "Electric Transport," which deals with trolleybuses and trams, and "Mykolaiv Passenger Transport," which focuses on diesel and gasoline buses, - the mayor stated.

The final element of the reform will be the introduction of the "electronic ticket," allowing residents and visitors to transfer to any form of public transport to reach their destination. This ticket will only require one payment. Passenger movements will be recorded; for example, if a person transfers from a tram to a bus, the fare for this ticket will be split between the two enterprises.

- The final point in the transport reform in Mykolaiv will culminate in the implementation of the "electronic ticket." What does this mean? Our idea is for transport to move throughout the city, allowing a person to purchase a ticket and make any number of transfers between different types of transport within one hour. This means they can ride a trolleybus, switch to a bus, and then take a tram. For this entire journey, a person will only need to pay once. This is already functioning within one enterprise, and we want it to be a unified operation between two enterprises. When money is collected from the ticket – if a person boarded one vehicle and then transferred to another – the revenue from this ticket will be shared between the two enterprises, - the mayor explained.

However, this is not the only change awaiting the residents of Mykolaiv. The mayor mentioned that once there is a sufficient number of vehicles and drivers at the two enterprises, "transfer stations" will be established, where passengers will transfer from one form of public transport to another. This is particularly relevant as often, for example, a bus or trolleybus runs a long route "empty."

- So, we are saying that when we saturate the city with transport and have the necessary number of drivers and a unified ticket, we will be able to adjust routes to be shorter. One route won't travel from the Shipbuilding District to Kosmonavtiv Street while running "empty." Or, conversely, it won't head to the center and then travel to another neighborhood "empty." Transfer stations will be created, as seen worldwide, where a person can disembark and switch to another bus without needing to walk anywhere, cross the street, or anything else. This is again part of our reform. We collaborated with the company "A+S," which developed this entire concept for Mykolaiv. However, all of this will be implemented only after we ensure there are enough vehicles and drivers to facilitate this transport, - Oleksandr Senkevych concluded.