“Expensive and Painful”: Klitschko’s Adviser Proposes Charging for Entry to Kyiv’s Centre

“If you don’t want to pay, walk.”

Maksym Bakhmatov, adviser to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, is confident that driving into the city centre should be paid.

He said this in an interview with Liga.net.

According to Bakhmatov, in the centre it is enough to get around on foot or by metro.

Maksym Bakhmatov
adviser to the Kyiv city mayor

A model for entry to the centre needs to be devised. I believe that driving into the centre should be paid, expensive and painful. If you are rich and really need to, drive in. If you don't really need to, leave the car and take the metro or walk, since our centre isn't that big.

Although no concrete proposals on this issue have been developed yet, the adviser is confident that the authorities should move in this direction.

“There are no concrete details yet, but I understand this is a strategy that needs to be worked on. I saw a case in Latvia. A pass for entry to the centre costs 3 thousand euros a year. Great! Pay 100 thousand hryvnias and you can drive into the centre. Don't want to pay? Walk. Further, from the so-called Troieshchyna you can drive for free, but not into the centre,” Bakhmatov added.

Earlier it became known that NABU opened a case against Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and two of his deputies. The bureau is investigating possible abuse of office, receipt of unlawful benefits, embezzlement of state funds and high treason.