River transportation between the banks of the Dnipro may be launched in Kyiv in case of bridge damage

Kyiv is considering the possibility of organizing passenger transportation on the Dnipro as an alternative connection between the left and right banks of the capital in case of damage to the bridges.

This was reported by UNIAN with reference to the deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Volodymyr Kreydenko.

According to the deputy, the state enterprise “River Ports Administration” has vessels on its balance sheet that can potentially be used to transport passengers between the banks of the Dnipro.

“They can transport 100 people, maybe 150 — the ceiling for transportation. But this is also an alternative. We can even leave it after the war as a tourist attraction that tourists can use,” Kreydenko noted.

He added that the capital has the necessary mooring infrastructure to organize such a connection.

At the same time, an inventory of passenger vessels has not yet been conducted. According to the deputy’s preliminary information, the relevant vessels are available and may be suitable for operation, but their actual technical condition still needs to be checked.

Kreidenko stressed that the issue of organizing river transportation is currently being discussed. There are no specific dates for launching such a connection yet.

In addition to passenger transportation on the Dnipro, Kyiv plans to equip two pontoon or prefabricated bridges that can become an alternative to existing river crossings.

According to the deputy, Ukraine receives the corresponding structures as international technical assistance. Preparatory work has already begun, and the installation of the bridges, according to his assessment, can be completed within three to four months.

Earlier, USM reported that in 2021, Kyiv was already considering the possibility of resuming regular passenger transportation on the Dnipro. Then, it was proposed to organize routes from the River Station to the Rusanivska and Bereznyakivska embankments in order to unload the capital’s roads during peak hours.