Archive: March 2026

Public electric transport is an important component of urban mobility systems, especially for some segments of the population. However, today Ukrainian cities are forced to maintain its operation in conditions of unprecedented challenges: regular shelling, electricity shortages and acute shortage of personnel. At what percentage of its capabilities does electric transport operate in conditions of war, energy restrictions and a personnel crisis? To answer this question, in February 2026, the Vision Zero NGO team conducted monitoring of the actual use of tram and trolleybus rolling stock (RS) in Ukrainian cities. The monitoring results allowed us to make a cross-section of the situation, compare cities with each other and have a basis for similar monitoring and comparisons in the future.

Methodology

To assess the use of public electric transport in the cities of Ukraine, we applied an approach based on comparing the actual production of rolling stock with the existing inventory. Actual data was collected using real-time monitoring during the morning peak hours, when the load on the transport infrastructure is traditionally the highest. The number of transport units on the routes was recorded on February 24-26, 2026 from 08:00 to 9:00 and from 9:00 to 10:00 according to the data of the GPS monitoring systems "Dozor" and "EasyWay" (in some cities the peak of operation begins at 9:00 in the morning). The recorded number of rolling stock on each route was added into the database manually. The source of information on the inventory is the Corporation "Ukrelectrotrans" , as of 2025.

The rolling stock operation rate was calculated as the ratio of the actually detected amount of transport on the lines to the total amount of available inventory of a particular city. The highest recorded total operation figures for each city were taken for the rating. The rating did not include cities where data from GPS trackers was missing during the monitoring period: Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Konotop, Druzhkivka, Kherson, Ternopil, Sloviansk.

The tram counting methodology does not take into account multi-unit systems (trains of several coupled trams), since according to GPS monitoring data, it is impossible to determine the output of cars in the couplings.

The big picture

In EU cities, the normal level of operation rate on rolling stock routes is considered to be 60-80% for large tram systems, 50-70% for small and medium systems, and 65-85% for trolleybus systems. Our measurements, conducted during the morning peak hours (from 08:00 to 10:00), showed that the average Ukrainian figure does not even come close to reaching these levels of over 60%:

• The average tram operation rate was 29.81%.
• The average operation rate of trolleybuses is 40.38%.

Of course, energy constraints have a significant impact on these indicators. Restrictions on electricity supply and its high cost often force municipalities to consciously reduce the operation of energy-intensive transport. In some cities, energy supplies to electric transport enterprises on the day of monitoring were in full, and in some - probably not. These differences in energy availability were not taken into account when calculating the monitoring results.

The phenomenon of frontline cities: resilience despite circumstances

The most inspiring result of the monitoring was the indicators of cities that are near the front line or constantly suffer from Russian terror.

• Kramatorsk deserves special attention. Despite the constant threat, maximum proximity to the front line and regular brutal shelling, the city continues to run public electric transport on routes. Even the very fact of daily operation of trolleybuses in such extreme conditions is evidence of the incredible resilience of local transport workers and the vital need to maintain mobility for citizens.
• Mykolaiv shared first place in Ukraine in terms of the percentage of tram operation ( 50% ) with Kamianske, and also showed a good result in trolleybuses ( 38.46% ). The city, which has been under daily attacks for a long time, is finding resources to maintain electric transport in working condition.
• Chernihiv , which survived a severe siege in 2022, became the absolute leader in Ukraine in terms of trolleybus on-route operation — 70.73% .
• The border regional center of Sumy showed a relatively high coefficient of 41.03%.

Reservation

The study only takes into account the nominal number of rolling stock on the balance sheet of municipal enterprises as of January 2025. The monitoring does not take into account differences in local policies: some enterprises more regularly decomission idle rolling stock, while others, on the contrary, keep such units on their balance sheet. The monitoring also does not take into account differences in the energy supply of cities and enterprises and possible power outages that may have occurred on the monitoring days.

Additional information

We plan to conduct similar monitoring in the future, and will use the first monitoring as a basis for comparison. Tables with monitoring results for 24-26.02.2026 can be downloaded as Google Sheets at this link .

Monitoring was conducted by: Yuriy Lozovenko; publication was prepared by: Yuriy Lozovenko, Kateryna Lozovenko, Viktor Zagreba.

Ukrainian municipalities and civil society organizations have sent letters to the Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine O. Kuleba with a request to support the development and approval of a new edition of building codes regulating the planning and design of tram and trolleybus lines. As we reported earlier , the new edition of DBN V.2.3-18:20ХХ "Transport structures. Tram and trolleybus lines" is being developed in 2026 by the State Enterprise "Scientific Research and Design and Technological Institute of Urban Economy" at the request of the NGO "Vision Zero".

Official letters addressed to Minister Oleksiy Kuleba with a request to facilitate the approval of new building codes have already been sent by municipal enterprises and specialized departments from Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia and Chernihiv, as well as the association “CIVINET Ukraine”, the Association “Energy-Efficient Cities of Ukraine”, public organizations “Vision Zero” and “Ecodia”. In their appeals, the organizations emphasize the strategic importance of electric public transport and the need for its large-scale modernization and call on the Minister to include the approval of the DBN in the plans and priorities of the Ministry for 2026–2027.

The study “Comparative analysis of legislative and technical standards for electric public transport in Ukraine and EU countries” , conducted in 2024–2025 by the public organization “Vision Zero”, revealed that the current DBN V.2.3-18 “Transport structures. Tram and trolleybus lines” from 2007 (as amended) is entirely based on outdated Soviet approaches and typical solutions and creates numerous barriers to the implementation of modern, inclusive and safe solutions for the development of electric transport. The document contains numerous unfounded requirements, restrictions and regulations, the implementation of which is either impossible in modern urban planning conditions, or requires excessive expenditure of funds and materials. In addition, the entire document fundamentally does not meet the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On Building Standards”, according to which preference should be given to parametric and target-based methods of standardization in construction as opposed to the outdated prescriptive method of standardization.

The initiative to update the DBN received broad support from local governments and the expert community. On January 29, 2026, consultation meeting No. 1 was held within the framework of the development of the new edition of the DBN V.2.3-18”, which was attended by 40 representatives of municipal enterprises, transport departments and private companies from 16 cities of Ukraine. The workshop participants presented and discussed more than 20 specific proposals on which norms could find a place in the future new edition, and which, on the contrary, it makes sense not to include, based on the principles of decentralization, subsidiarity and parametric regulation.

If your city or public organization also supports the development and approval of new, pro-European DBN for electric transport, we invite you to send a similar letter of support to the Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine. If you wish to participate in the DBN development process, including in further consultation meetings, please write to our organization’s email address.

Previously, the NGO “Vision Zero” published a study assessing the cost of modernizing electric transport in Ukraine , in which the total investment need was estimated at 11.2 billion euros. We also invite you to read an informative analytical article on the CTS website entitled “Examples of new tram systems in Europe and why they are impossible in Ukraine” and a blog entitled “Soviet tram will not take you to Europe” .

We are looking for an event coordinator for a tram project*

*among Ukrainian sole proprietors who are in the Czech Republic or know Czech (preferred)

The NGO "Vision Zero" (Ivano-Frankivsk) is looking for a person to join the project team to complete some of the tasks related to coordination, organization, and communication. The project is dedicated to the topic of electric public transport (tram and trolleybus systems) and lasts until October 2026.

Method of organizing cooperation: agreement with an individual entrepreneur, payment according to documents.

Functions:

• Event organization: preparation and support of online meetings, webinars, one offline event - a technical study visit to the Czech Republic and Austria.
• Info-management: receiving, processing, archiving project information, filling in tables, organizing files, etc.

Requirements for interested parties:

• Experience working in the public, municipal, state sector or in companies (event organization or communication);
• Communication skills in different languages, fluent Ukrainian;
• Proficiency in office and cloud-based office programs (GoogleDrive, Zoom);
• Organization, punctuality and attention to detail;
• Registration as an individual entrepreneur with relevant types of activities;
• Interest in at least one of the listed topics: public transport, construction, development of Ukrainian cities, urban planning, post-war reconstruction.

We offer:

• Partial and flexible involvement (from 10% to 30%, depending on the period);
• An interesting, understandable project;
• Market payment;
• Quality feedback and a good line in your resume.

Preference is given to candidates who temporarily reside in the Czech Republic or speak Czech and are able to participate in a study visit to this country (organizational support) in May or June 2026, lasting 1 week. All costs for participation in the visit are provided separately.

Contact: We are waiting for a resume and a short cover letter (two paragraphs of your own text, not AI) to the address: vision.zero.ngo@gmail.com by 03/15/2026.

For questions or clarifications, please contact: Viktor Zagreba, Chairman of the Board of the NGO “Vision Zero”, +380674421494 (WhatsApp).