How important is the role of the party leaders of the electoral race in the programs for the development of roads, ports, and airports?

While everyone is analyzing the first dozens of parties that go to the polls, I took on an ungrateful case and read political programs. I was interested in the infrastructure sector – one must understand whether new roads, roads, ports, and airports will be in the focus of the future parliament and government.

So, mixing validol with a cola, it became clear that not everything is so simple.

According to the latest published ratings, six political forces have chances to go to parliament, and two more are close to overcoming the 5 percent barrier.

Four of these parties mentioned the infrastructure and only two of them, the parties with the highest ratings – Servant of the People and European Solidarity, “exaggerated” to write about the infrastructure, even a few points.

Let’s start with Servant of the People, the political force of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has the chance to formulate the Cabinet of Ministers individually and appoint his minister of infrastructure with the heads of Ukravtodor and Ukrzaliznytsya.

The priorities:

– To introduce independent quality control of construction and repair of highways;

– To create legislative conditions for the construction of concrete roads;

– To demonopolize the field of passenger and freight transport by rail.

What is meant in terms of monitoring the quality and conditions of “concrete” is a rhetorical question, but the de-monopolization in the railroad implies the admission of private traction and the liberalization of the transportation market (there is a chance for a rail transport bill).

The priorities of European Solidarity of ex-President Petro Poroshenko in the sphere of infrastructure are more about the results than the plans:

– 2018 became the record number of repaired highways in Ukraine. Thanks to the launch of the Road Fund, 3,800 kilometers of national and local roads were restored;

– Several large-scale infrastructure projects have been implemented, including the launch of the Beskyd Tunnel; launch of the express train to Kyiv Boryspil International Airport, the opening of part of the transport corridor connecting Ukraine with the European Union near Reni.

Party Strength and Honor of Ihor Smeshko, the former head of the Security Service of U kraine, believes that for the economic development of Ukraine, among other things, it is necessary to ensure the modernization and creation of new transport infrastructure, including land, air, sea, and river communication routes. But then without any specifics.

Ex-Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko’s Civic Position, in turn, wants to launch large-scale infrastructure projects with the benefit of the Ukrainian producer. “At the construction of new roads, bridges, stations, and airports we will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs,” says the party program.

It is also announced that strict norms will be introduced on emissions of pollutants from industry and transport activities. But it’s still about ecology, rather than about infrastructure.

Probably, it’s worth mentioning the Ukrainian Strategy of Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, which promises to ensure the implementation of large-scale public-private partnership projects in the infrastructure and industry segment in order to increase the country’s capacities and create new jobs. The party’s program is convincing that Ukrainians will travel with good roads, use modern railways, have advanced air connections with Europe and the world.

There was little hope for the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, but singer Slava Vakarchuk’s Voice would not be able to overcome this sadness — Nothing about the development of regional airports, inland water transport, the liberalization of international road transport, the “open sky” with the EU. It is not too late for future deputies and government officials to open the National Transport Strategy 2030 and the Action Plan 2019-2021.

In comparison, the goal of the National Transport Strategy of Ukraine is 2030:

– providing a comprehensive vision for determining the priorities of the transport industry and creating an effective management system taking into account the multimodality principle;

– definition of conceptual principles of the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of transport, aimed at creating an integrated transport network integrated with the international transport network of Ukraine;

– the satisfaction of the needs of citizens in transportation, increase of mobility and accessibility of transport services;

– improvement of business conditions in order to ensure the competitiveness and efficiency of the national economy both on the domestic and foreign markets;

– fulfillment of obligations under the Association Agreement with the EU, including the implementation of best international practices, creation of a competitive market for the provision of transport services;

– the formation of an efficient transport system and logistics in the context of changing the geopolitical situation and the actual war with Russia.

The Transport Strategy identifies four priority areas:

  1. Competitive and efficient transport system.
  2. Innovative development of the transport industry and global investment projects.
  3. A society safe, environmentally friendly and energy efficient transport.
  4. Unhindered mobility and interregional integration.

Within each priority direction it is defined common problems that need to be addressed; a list of problems to be solved for solving problems; Expected results.

The main expected results of implementation:

– Changing the system of strategic planning and management of transport sector development;

– Modernized, high-quality and reliable multimodal transport system operationally compatible with the trans-European transport network;

– A transparent competitive environment and level rules in the market for the provision of transport services;

– Innovative, high-tech and intelligent transport network, digital transport corridors and electron logistics;

– updated, in particular, due to localization of the best world technologies at domestic enterprises, rolling stock;

– increase of private investments in the development of the transport sector and road economy.