The third All-Ukrainian Urban Mobility Forum was held in Uzhhorod on September 3-5, 2025. This event brought together over 200 participants to discuss the future of transport and mobility in Ukraine. The event brought together industry experts, representatives of central government, local government, business, and public organizations.
Photo: Uzhhorod City Council
This year, the focus of the forum was on sustainable urban development , adapting transport infrastructure to today's challenges and harmonizing it with European standards. Participants discussed the importance of barrier-free access, the implementation of accessible transport, the development of electric transport and urban logistics of the future.
Kateryna Lozovenko, project coordinator of the NGO “Vision Zero” , also took part in the forum. She participated in a panel discussion on the topic “Electric transport in Ukraine: what next?” During her presentation on harmonizing approaches to planning electric public transport in Ukraine and the EU, she noted:
Ukrainian regulations governing tram and trolleybus traffic are too restrictive and prescriptive. They hinder the development of electric public transport and mobility, as many Ukrainian cities (especially historical ones, [ed. e.g. Lviv]) will never be able to build a new tram line in the center or connect existing lines. The State Traffic Regulations clearly regulate distances from buildings, indicate excessive turning radii for trams, and make it impossible for trams and trolleybuses to move together in the same lane. This approach to design completely eliminates the work of a professional engineer.
Photo: Uzhhorod City Council
In addition to the regulatory framework, in her presentation, Kateryna Lozovenko also drew attention to the need to change the financial model for infrastructure modernization:
We need to stop sending cities for loans, we need state support and finding other sources of co-financing. In EU countries, these are special funds. They are unavailable to Ukraine, however, a co-financing model using frozen Russian assets could work for us.
Photo: Natalia Volyk
In general, the presentation caused a rather lively discussion in the hall. The forum participants agreed that Ukraine, first of all, needs to develop fundamentally new construction standards for the design of tram and trolleybus systems, bring the standards closer to European (for example, Czech) standards. And also look for opportunities to implement other financial instruments: grants, co-financing from other sources, public-private partnerships, etc.
Organizers of the event: Uzhhorod City Council, KP "Uzhhorod Municipal Transport", CIVINET Ukraine, Lviv City Council, City Institute.
For reference:
Research “ Comparative analysis of regulations for trams and trolleybuses in Ukraine and the EU ”