Ukraine is launching GPS tracking of public transportation: what will change for passengers
6 April 14:17
The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine is launching a pilot project for a GPS-based public transportation monitoring system for passengers.
This was reported by the Ministry’s press service, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
This is a digital system that will allow users to see, in near real time, where public transport is located, whether it is following its route, and how the trip is proceeding.
“Anyone who travels between cities has encountered this situation at least once: a bus is late, changes its route, or stops ‘unscheduled.’ And most often—without explanation. That is precisely why passengers need GPS monitoring of public transport,” the ministry emphasizes.
They add that to fully implement this tool, a resolution has been initiated to launch a pilot project for a GPS vehicle monitoring system.
How will it work?
The project includes:
- requirements for GPS equipment,
- connecting vehicles to a unified system,
- dispatch control,
- data collection and processing.
It is noted that implementation will begin as a pilot project, with subsequent scaling.
“Today, GPS monitoring is already in use in some cities and by some carriers. But these are fragmented solutions—without unified standards and without a nationwide system. As a result, the state does not have a complete picture of how transportation actually operates. That is why we are initiating this project—to create a unified system at the national level that will provide transparency, control, and clear rules for all market participants,” explained Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
What will this change for passengers?
Among the benefits for passengers, the Ministry of Development lists:
- greater safety,
- speed and traffic control,
- fewer “gray” transport services and violations,
- clear and predictable transportation,
- the ability to respond to incidents.
The agency adds that this also provides the state and communities with a tool to monitor trip execution without roadside inspections, analyze routes, and make data-driven decisions.
It should be noted that in 2026, the shortage of public transport drivers in Ukraine became a major challenge, affecting the operations of municipal enterprises, private carriers, and the quality of life for millions of passengers.
The situation is particularly acute in large cities with high passenger traffic. Read more about why the driver shortage arose, the scale of the problem, and what cities are doing to address it.
