Project No. 10 – Transport Artery for Romny city

Romny city hromada serves as a strategic rear-area hub of Sumy oblast. The resilience of the territory under martial law directly depends on the ability of local self-government bodies to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of 74 settlements, create conditions for the integration of more than 3,000 internally displaced persons, and guarantee equal access to essential services for the civilian population.

The integration of internally displaced persons and support for local residents require synergistic and comprehensive solutions. Currently, with the support of the Swiss Confederation through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), jointly with the Sumy Regional State Administration and DM BAU LLC, the municipality is successfully implementing a large-scale pilot project to construct modular housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The development of accessible, inclusive, and high-quality municipal mobility logically complements these efforts. The new transport system is being created not for a single category of residents, but as a tool for uniting the entire community by providing reliable connections between residents of modular settlements and remote villages and workplaces, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and administrative services. The project fully complies with the national barrier-free policy and regards transport as an essential social service.

Municipality covers an area of 970.4 sq. km and is characterized by a widely dispersed population. The considerable distance from remote villages to the community’s administrative center makes transport connections critically important for sustaining everyday life.

The municipality currently faces a number of significant infrastructure challenges:

• condition of the vehicle fleet: Most vehicles used for passenger transport have a high level of wear and tear, resulting in breakdowns and unreliable service.
• limited Accessibility of the transport network: Only a small proportion of existing routes are barrier-free and adapted for persons with disabilities and people with limited mobility.
• dependence on transport operators: The community has limited leverage over service quality and the regularity of trips, particularly on routes serving remote settlements.
• bus stop infrastructure: A significant number of bus stops require modernization, including ramps, comfortable waiting areas, and information elements.

All residents of the Romny city hromada are the ultimate beneficiaries of the upgraded transport system. Particular attention within the project is given to people for whom access to public transport is critically important:

• internally displaced persons: For whom transport provides access to administrative, social, and healthcare services.
• persons with disabilities and veterans: For whom low-floor transport is a basic prerequisite for independent mobility and rehabilitation.
• older persons, families with children, and residents of remote villages: For whom high-quality mobility ensures equal access to education, healthcare, employment, and social life.

The project is expected to expand the barrier-free network, ensure stable connections between the city and the community’s villages, and improve residents’ access to key social and healthcare facilities.

The central idea of the project is to move away from isolated procurements and transition toward building a comprehensive municipal mobility system:

(New Transport + Infrastructure + Routes + Personnel + Service)

= Sustainable Mobility System

Educational and Technical Cluster Based at the Separate Structural Subdivision Romny Professional College of Sumy National Agrarian University

A unique component of the project is the integration of the educational capacity of the Romny Professional College of SNAU into the municipal transport system. This solution links transport infrastructure with the education sector and will provide:

• training of transport maintenance specialists: Students will be trained in vehicle maintenance, diagnostics, and repair, building professional capacity for the entire community.
• training of future drivers: Establishing a foundation for training and practical skills development for future drivers from among young people, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and war veterans.
• service support: Involving the college’s teaching staff and students in providing professional consultations and technical support for vehicles throughout their life cycle.
• employment and formal jobs: Directing college graduates to employment in the municipal vehicle fleet, providing young specialists with their first formally registered job while ensuring a continuous supply of qualified personnel for the community.

Stages of the Mobility System Transformation

The project is implemented as a sequential transformation process covering:

1. analytical and planning stage: A comprehensive assessment of the community transport needs and preparation of technical and economic solutions.
2. infrastructure upgrade: Establishing a municipal fleet of 12 modern buses through procurement or acquisition via international technical assistance mechanisms and partnerships with European cities, including buses of at least the ISUZU class (urban, Class I, low-floor, with at least 22 seats, a total capacity of at least 60 passengers, and an emissions standard of at least EURO 5), as well as modernization of bus stop facilities.
3. digitalization: Introduction of GPS monitoring, mobile services, electronic ticketing, and digital payment.
4. ensuring inclusivity: Full adaptation of the transport environment for people with limited mobility.
5. optimization and development: Improving timetables, expanding the network, and monitoring service quality.

Romny city hromada has already demonstrated its capacity to manage international assistance effectively. The overall project parameters (including the purchase cost or equivalent value of the vehicles obtained) provide for the establishment of a fleet of 12 modern buses with an estimated total value of UAH 54 million.

In a framework of agreements already implemented, the community has secured UAH 23.3 million, which has been directed toward creating basic infrastructure, developing the training and technical site, and carrying out preparatory works.

The project partners include the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation, Government of the Republic of Korea, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). This joint effort has laid a solid foundation for developing the municipal vehicle fleet, while securing additional resources for vehicle procurement will build on the progress already achieved and make passenger transport services high-quality and accessible to every resident.

Implementation of the project will ensure:

• establishment of a municipal fleet of 12 modern low-floor buses obtained through procurement or international assistance,
• expansion of the network of barrier-free and inclusive routes throughout the community,
• creation of a dedicated community-based Training Center for drivers and service specialists,
• creation of new jobs with 100% formal employment,
• reliable and safe connections between the city and 73 rural settlements.