In recent months, a number of initiatives in the transport sphere were submitted to the Parliament; some of them were even already passed in the first reading. In this issue we will focus on some of them, primarily aimed either on improving legislation on electric vehicles and infrastructure for them, or approximation of Ukrainian national legislation to the EU one.

Improving legislation on electric vehicles and infrastructure for them

One of the recent initiatives, which was already adopted in the first reading, is aimed at improvement of the legislation regarding the use of electric vehicles and building infrastructure for them. Draft Law no. 8172 “On certain issues of use of vehicles, equipped with electric engines and amending certain legislative acts of Ukraine in view of overcoming fuel dependence and development of charging infrastructure and electric vehicles” was submitted to the Parliament by MP Y.Kamelchuk and others and was passed in the first reading on December 1.

The draft law in question is aimed at the following:

• Providing a legal definition for electric charging stations, as well as different types of vehicles equipped with electric engines;
• Simplified procedure for installation of the charging stations – does not require allocation of the dedicated land plot;
• Simplified procedure for connection to the electric grids – construction of electric lines, connecting the charging station to electricity (if the voltage does not exceed 150 kV) without allocation of the land plot. Also, before January 1, 2025, the owner of the charging station pays only part of the fee for connection to the grid;
• Residential buildings may organize charging stations on their territory within the electric power limits, allocated to such building;
• New projects of residential buildings must be provided with places for storage of electric vehicles (50% of all places for storage of vehicles) and charging stations;
• State and local governance bodies are responsible for defining the places for installation of charging stations and storage of vehicles, as well as incentives for the development of infrastructure and providing objects owned or managed by them with necessary electric power supplies and charging stations in order to achieve the share of places for electric vehicles by December 31, 2024;
• Gradual restriction of the use of non-electric busses on urban bus lines: for the cities with a population over 250 thousand the share of electric busses on regular lines must be not less than 25% by January 1, 2027, and not less than 50% by January 1, 2030; starting from January 1, 2033 only electric busses may service urban bus lines in all cities;
• Gradual restriction for procurement of non-electric busses for urban lines: in cities with a population over 250 thousand from January 1, 2025, at least 50% of busses procured must be electric, and starting from January 1, 2026, only electric busses may be procured; starting from January 1, 2027, procurement of non-electric busses in the sphere of public transport will be prohibited.

Harmonization of requirements to carriers with EU legislation

Another initiative that was passed in the first reading on October 19, 2022 is Draft Law
no. 4560 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Regulation of Market of Automotive Transport Services in Ukraine Aimed at their Alignment with the Act of the European Union”. The draft law in question is aimed at alignment of Ukrainian legislation, prescribing the requirements to the automotive carriers, with the requirements of EU Regulation 1071/2009. The draft law in question sets out the requirements for the carrier, in particular, introduces such obligatory position as “carriage manager” who is responsible for the organization of passenger and cargo carriages and prescribes the requirement for the person occupying such position. It also introduces the requirement of impeccable business reputation and sets out its criteria. In addition, it amends the requirements for licensing of carrier and suggests the introduction of a Single information-telecommunication system on land transport as a digital complex aimed at providing services in the sphere of land transport.

Suggested amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Road Traffic”

Another initiative, aimed at the implementation of EU legislation on the national level, is Draft Law no. 8082 “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Road Traffic” regarding Implementation of Legislation”, submitted to the Parliament by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on September 28, 2022. The draft law was recommended for adoption in the first reading, however, it was not included in agenda on December 1.

The draft law in question is aimed at harmonization of the current legislation with Directive 2006/126/EC in terms of driving license categories, as well as requirements for the drivers of each category and the terms of validity of the driving licenses of different categories.

In addition to mentioned initiatives, there are important changes in the structure of government. According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 2, 2022, no. 1343, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine is now transformed into the Ministry for Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure, as two former ministries are merged together. Oleksandr Kubrakov (previously – Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine) was appointed as a Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction – Minister for Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure.