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Tetyana Yermolenko
Correspondent
What problems do drivers in the capital face every day?
Kyiv's roads are known for being a real testing ground for motorists' nerves. Over the past five years, the number of registered cars in the capital has been growing steadily, and the road infrastructure has not kept up with this pace. Traffic jams, chaotic parking, endless repairs and aggressive driving style create daily stress for over a million Kyiv drivers.
The Delo.ua editorial team analyzed the main problems of the capital's traffic and found out why some of them seem insoluble.
Traffic jams – when the road becomes a parking lot
Kyiv consistently holds positions in anti-ratings of European cities for road congestion. According to the international service TomTom Traffic Index, the Ukrainian capital ranks 7th in the city ranking, behind Istanbul, Manila, Mumbai and Moscow. Thus, drivers in the capital spend up to 50% of their time in traffic jams during rush hour. This means that a 30-minute trip can stretch to an hour.
The most problematic points are Peremohy Avenue, Naberezhne Shosse, Southern and Northern Bridges, Patona Bridge, Zhylyanska and Velyka Vasylkivska Streets. In the morning from 7:30 to 9:30 and in the evening from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., these highways turn into continuous streams of cars that barely crawl. Drivers spend an additional 200-300 liters of fuel per year, and the loss of working time reaches 100-150 hours per person.
Parking – a quest with an unpredictable ending
The shortage of parking spaces in Kyiv is critical. There are 8-10 cars per official parking space in the center. Despite the introduction of a paid parking system in central areas in 2018, chaos remains the norm.
Fines for improper parking range from 255 to 680 hryvnias, but this does not stop drivers. Sidewalks, lawns, public transport stops – everything is in use. According to the Visit Ukraine portal, in July 2024, 18,678 drivers were fined in Kyiv for violating parking and traffic rules, which brought 5.5 million hryvnias to the city budget
The situation is particularly difficult in areas of mass housing development – Podil, Pechersk, Shevchenkivskyi district. Here the Soviet planning system has come into conflict with the realities of 21st century motorization.
Endless repairs and communication chaos
Road reconstruction in Kyiv often resembles a guessing game for drivers. Information about traffic closures appears a day or two before the start of work, and sometimes even after the fact. In 2023, more than 200 repair projects of various scales were simultaneously underway in the capital.
A classic example is the multi-year reconstruction of the Shulyavsky Bridge, which paralyzed traffic in half of Kyiv. Or the repair of Peremohy Avenue, when drivers wandered for weeks through labyrinths of bypass roads without proper information from the city.
The problem is exacerbated by the lack of coordination between different services. When the water utility, gas company, and road workers work independently of each other, one area can be “excavated” three times a year.
Driving culture and accident rate
According to the Patrol Police, 80-100 road accidents are recorded in Kyiv every day. This puts the capital in the top three anti-leaders of Ukraine in terms of accident rates. The main reasons are speeding (40% of cases), violation of maneuvering rules (25%), and ignoring traffic lights (20%).
Aggressive driving style has become the norm. “Checkers” between rows, undercutting, ignoring the distance – such maneuvers create a chain reaction of braking and additional traffic jams. Psychologists explain this by chronic stress from constant idling in traffic jams. In addition, Ukrainians are under chronic stress caused by the war, so this only increases the degree of tension on the roads.
Conflict with public transport
Dedicated lanes for buses and trolleybuses are theoretically supposed to relieve traffic, but in practice they often become a source of conflict. Drivers of private cars regularly violate the ban on driving in these lanes, especially during traffic jams on the main road.
According to statistics, 30% of fines for traffic violations in Kyiv are related to illegal use of public transport lanes. A fine of 340 hryvnias does not stop many, especially when the time savings can be 15-20 minutes.
Technological solutions and prospects
The Kyiv City State Administration is trying to implement modern solutions: “smart” traffic lights with adaptive regulation, mobile applications for finding parking, online repair maps. However, the scale of the problems requires a systemic approach.
Experts emphasize the need to develop alternative transport – bicycle paths, expansion of the metro network, electric public transport. The experience of European capitals shows that without restricting the use of private cars in the center, the problem cannot be solved.
How to survive in Kyiv traffic
Experienced Kyiv drivers have developed their own strategies for dealing with the capital's traffic stress:
- Plan routes taking into account rush hours and ongoing repairs through special applications.
- Consider alternative modes of transport for trips to the center – the metro is often faster than a car.
- Use parking hubs in the neighborhood with public transportation connections.
- Keep a kit in the car for a long wait – water, snacks, and a phone charger.
The capital's traffic problems have no quick solutions, but understanding their nature helps to better adapt to the realities of Kyiv traffic. Most likely, the situation will not change radically in the coming years – so drivers will have to learn to live with this stress or look for alternatives to a personal car.
