Mandatory technical inspection for all cars: what will change in Ukraine this year
20 January 02:37
In 2026, Ukraine plans to carry out a large-scale update of regulations in the field of road and urban transport. The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development has published a list of priority legislative initiatives that are expected to change approaches to transportation, safety, technical control, and border crossing, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
This involves not only new requirements for carriers, but also the digitization of processes and the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with EU standards.
As explained by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, some of the draft laws have already been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, while others are being finalized in cooperation with relevant parliamentary committees. The key goal of the changes is to improve transport safety, reduce bureaucracy, and make the rules transparent for both businesses and communities.
Publicly important transport: communities will receive new powers
A separate draft law concerns so-called socially important routes. These are transport services that are not economically attractive to private companies but are critically important for residents of villages and remote communities.
According to the Ministry of Development’s plan, communities will be able to officially order such routes and pay for them from local budgets. This will allow transport connections to be maintained even where the market itself does not work.
Border and foreign carriers: responsibility will increase
In 2026, there are plans to increase the responsibility of foreign carriers who violate the rules of cabotage transportation in Ukraine. These changes are intended to ensure fair competition in the domestic market and protect Ukrainian companies.
A separate area is the legislative consolidation of the eCherga system. It is currently operating on a trial basis, but the state wants to make it a permanent tool for predictable and transparent border crossing by motor vehicles.
Taxis: a step towards legalizing the market
Among the key reforms is the updating of taxi operating rules. The draft law aims to:
- legalize the work of drivers;
- introduce uniform safety standards;
- gradually bring the industry out of the shadows.
The Ministry of Development emphasizes that the reform is necessary not only for control, but also for the protection of passengers and drivers themselves.
Technical inspection: simpler, but more mandatory
Another important change is the reform of technical inspection of transport. The plan is to:
- simplify the procedure for the first technical inspection for used cars;
- gradually introduce mandatory technical inspections for all types of transport;
- minimise corruption risks through transparent rules and digital solutions.
Digitalization and European integration
In 2026, the Ministry of Development is also preparing new draft laws that will make electronic consignment notes (e-TTN) mandatory for transportation. This should reduce paperwork and facilitate business operations.
Separate updates will be made to the rules governing:
- transportation of dangerous goods;
- transportation of perishable food products;
- regulation of civilian drones in the transport sector.
- “Legislative changes in the field of road transport are the result of systematic cooperation between the ministry and the Verkhovna Rada. We view this process as a partnership for a common goal: safety, digitalization, and alignment with EU standards,” emphasized Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach.
What this means for drivers and businesses
The planned changes mean that the transport market will start operating under new rules in 2026.
For businesses, this means more transparency and less chaos; for communities, it means guaranteed transportation; and for passengers, it means higher safety standards.
