"Drivers on edge": the Duma discussed bus queues and the potential rise in fare prices

      At the meeting of the Duma commission, deputies heard information from the Kirov administration about public transport. Overall, according to officials, the situation is more or less normal now — the transport availability on the lines for most carriers is 92-95%, issues with route No. 90 and the Staromoskovsky tract have been resolved, and there are no more complaints about them. The only problem is occasional cancellations of evening trips. These are mainly observed on trolleybus routes No. 4 and 8, as well as bus routes No. 11, 50, and 61. The reasons are a shortage of drivers and vehicle breakdowns. Deputy Vladimir Malkov inquired whether carriers are facing issues with diesel fuel and whether there are plans to raise fares. The head of the Kirov administration, Vyacheslav Simakov, replied that there is no information about a fare increase; this issue has not been discussed yet. As for fuel, most buses run on gas. A representative of the carrier "Transavto" explained that there is no diesel shortage in Kirov. However, they specifically have problems with refueling stations. Earlier, contracts were signed with "Dvizhenie" and "Kirov-Neft," but due to a sharp rise in prices, the carrier had to switch to "Lukoil," where drivers are forced to refuel on common terms. They cannot sign a contract with "Lukoil" — the company has already submitted an application but has not received a response. The representative added that sometimes they manage to refuel without waiting in line, thanks to the employees of the National Guard on duty at the gas stations. However, at gas stations designed for passenger cars, the process of fueling is still slow, leading to queues of buses. For example, such a situation exists on Moskovskaya. All this leads to an increase in the length of the drivers' working day, as they spend about two hours waiting at the gas station. Due to overtime, dissatisfaction arises. Many drivers refuse to work in the evening and complete the last trips. The speaker added that they need their own refueling station. He suggested allowing them to refuel at "Lukoil" gas stations designated for emergency service vehicles, which are often free. But until measures are taken, they have to witness a real collapse. "Everyone is on edge, both the drivers and the gas station staff," said the carrier's representative. The head of the city, Elena Kovaleva, expressed the opinion that this issue should be raised at the meeting of the "fuel" operational headquarters. The administration responded that the operational headquarters has already made a decision regarding refueling for public transport, and it will be implemented in the coming days. Deputy Alexander Nikulin suggested that the authorities consider what will happen if diesel fuel at "Lukoil" rises significantly in price. The price has already increased from 60 to 80 rubles per liter and may rise even more. In his opinion, carriers are managing with great difficulty now, but later they may not even go out on the lines. He suggested that they switch to gas, but not on their own, as this is unmanageable even for large companies, but with the help of the government — if it, of course, is willing to cooperate. Or to rent idle buses running on gas fuel from other carriers. Whether the authorities will heed these suggestions remains unknown.