Ukrzaliznytsia will not be able to work effectively without an open dialogue with business, and the company’s financial problems should not be solved solely at the expense of shippers. This opinion was expressed by the Chairman of the Association of Car Owners, Alexander Krivoruchko, commenting on the initiative of Ukrzaliznytsia to increase the tariff for freight transportation by 30%.
According to him, Ukrzaliznytsia is a key infrastructure for the Ukrainian economy, because industry, the agricultural sector and the construction industry directly depend on its work. That is why the company and the state must take into account the impact that tariff increases will have on the economy.
“Without dialogue with clients, it is absolutely impossible to build adequate interaction in a complex system of freight transportation,” Krivoruchko emphasized.
He emphasized: the current model of interaction between the state carrier and business is unbalanced. Due to the insufficient efficiency of the company, possible corruption risks and the lack of adequate government support, Ukrzaliznytsia regularly shifts its financial problems onto clients, who often have no alternative to rail transportation.
Krivoruchko drew attention to the fact that in most European countries, in particular in Germany, Austria, France and Italy, the development of railway infrastructure is supported by the state, while in Ukraine the main source of financing for Ukrzaliznytsia traditionally remains shippers.
According to the expert, this model does not contribute to the development of partnerships between the carrier and business. " Moreover, it has been needed for a long time,” he emphasized..
Earlier, the agricultural business also called on Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and Development Minister Oleksiy Kuleba to prevent an increase in freight tariffs of Ukrzaliznytsia by 30%: representatives of the associations said that such an increase is economically unjustified, contradicts the principles of European integration and will only worsen the crisis in the economy.