Shadow transport market: illegal operators earn up to €11,000 per month and go unpunished
At the start of the peak season in Ukraine’s international bus passenger transport sector, the problem of the shadow market has intensified. A year ago, experts estimated its share at 30% of the international bus transport market, but this year it may grow significantly.
This was reported by Ukrainian News.
According to the outlet, illegal carriers do not have the required licences and usually use minibuses of up to 3.5 tonnes with a passenger capacity of eight people, as such vehicles do not require drivers to hold D1 or D category licences. Financially, such trips are highly profitable: with four to six trips per month, depending on the route, illegal operators can earn from €7,200 to nearly €11,000 without paying any taxes. They do not provide passengers with insurance contracts or the mandatory tickets approved last year by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.
In addition, vehicles used by illegal carriers are not equipped with tachographs, special devices that record speed, distance, and drivers’ working and rest periods.
"Illegal carriers, seeking to save on wages for a second driver, comply with none of the rules on driving time, breaks and rest periods. Everyone knows how physical strain affects a driver’s condition. After several hours of driving, fatigue develops, reducing attention and reaction speed, while the dynamic course of mental and physical processes in complex road situations increases strain on the nervous system. Without proper rest, drivers simply fall asleep at the wheel," the publication says.
The outlet stresses that public associations of carriers have repeatedly appealed to regional offices of Ukrtransbezpeka, the National Police, the State Tax Service and other authorities, providing specific data on illegal operators. However, in response, they received either formal replies stating that there were no signs of an offence, or the authorities referred to the confidentiality of personal data.
In view of this, Ukrainian News has initiated the creation of a platform to discuss the situation around the illegal transport market with the participation of the Ministry for Development, Ukrtransbezpeka, the State Tax Service, the National Police, the Customs and Border Guard services, the State Labour Service, public associations of passenger carriers and businesses.
