Khmelnytsky “Electrotrans” refused the option of cash payment for trolleybus fares

photo: Khmelnytskyi City Council website

The new automated fare accounting system started operating in trolleybuses on 01.02.2024, and from 15.07.2024 this system started working exclusively with non-cash fare payment (cash payment was canceled).

The operator of the automated fare collection system is CityCard Khmelnytskyi LLC, which won the tender held in 2023.

In Khmelnytskyi, the e-ticket provides for all types of electronic payment: 

• A transport card that can be purchased at a special AFC user service center. It can also be replenished there, as well as in the CityCard personal account, system terminals located around the city, and through the Portmone service.
• QR code generated in the CityCard mobile application.
• Bank card.

The fare when paying with a transport card is UAH 6, and with a bank card is UAH 7. For certain categories of passengers, travel is free of charge upon validation of the passenger's card. They receive the transport card free of charge.

Control over fare payment in trolleybuses is carried out by controllers of Electrotrans using their own devices. Currently, these are 50 people, some of them used to work as conductors.

photo: Suspilne-Khmelnytskyi

The system has a number of benefits: Trolleybus drivers are no longer distracted by counting cash and issuing tickets, which increases road safety. Due to the system, passenger flows and the company's receipts from ticket sales will be accounted for transparently, without any risks of shortfalls, Electrotrans says. Accordingly, the increase in revenues will allow them to be used to support the company's operations.

As reported by Electrotrans on July 7, 2024 a total of 70 thousand transport cards of various types have already been issued for different categories of passengers. These are transport cards that passengers had from the previous e-ticket operator.

The city council plans to scale the e-ticket to all types of public transport over the next few months.

photo: Alltrans website, author maxtram

It is worth noting that the use of AFC in urban public transport is a direct component of the transition to the PSO model (better known in Ukraine as “payment for transport work”).

The trolleybus network of Khmelnytskyi was opened in 1970, as of 2021, the length of the contact network was 99.7 km, the number of routes was 21, and the number of trolleybuses in stock was 120.