From Paperwork to EKIS: How an Online Procedure Will Speed Up the Opening of Interregional Bus Routes
The Ministry of Regional Development has approved a digital procedure (Order No. 1473). From idea to the launch of a route — now up to two months; we examine what this will mean for passengers and carriers during the war.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
December 30, 2025 · 2 min read
Briefly — the gist
The Ministry for Communities and Territories Development has approved a new digital procedure for opening interregional bus routes (order dated October 9, 2025 No.1473, registered with the Ministry of Justice). The entire process — from the carrier's initiative to the announcement of the competition — is being moved into the electronic cabinet of ЄКІС. According to the ministry, launching a route will now take up to two months, not years.
Why this matters
Officially, the new procedure is intended to remove years of bureaucracy that meant new domestic routes were hardly opened for more than 11 years. In the context of wartime, this is a question of mobility and accessibility — people in suburbs and regions need stable connections, and businesses need predictable rules of the game.
"Yes, in that time you could have had a child. But that is exactly how long it took not to 'patch' the old system, but to actually write the procedure from scratch."
— Serhii Derkach, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development
How it will work in practice
Carriers will now be required to submit only four electronic documents, which are generated and automatically checked within the system:
- route diagram;
- timetable;
- fare;
- driver work and rest schedule.
After a route is created in ЄКІС it is automatically put up for competition — so there is no longer a need for "paper" approvals and running between offices. All route passports will be available online, which increases transparency and enables public oversight.
Context and social proof
This decision is not an isolated step. In August 2025, Ukraine launched an updated publicly accessible register of interregional bus routes. Analysts and industry representatives note that digital tools create the preconditions for competition and the restoration of connections that were long blocked by outdated procedures.
Consequences and risks
Positive effects include faster route launches, reduced administrative barriers, and transparency. But effectiveness will depend on technical implementation and user support: if the system is slow or inconvenient, carriers will continue to look for workarounds. Oversight by local authorities regarding the actual conduct of competitions and adherence to timetables is also important.
What’s next
The new procedure comes into force in six months. Now the ball is in the carriers' and local authorities' court: electronic transparency increases the chances for new routes and better regional coverage, but the final outcome will depend on implementation and on how quickly businesses and citizens adopt the tool.
Question for the reader: will digitization and route competitions change the route map in your region — and how quickly?
