Four years ago, checkpoints became a common thing in the Donetsk region. Bus routes had to be developed anew due to military operations in the Donbass. The trips from front-line cities to checkpoints appeared. Transport link with the uncontrolled territory of the region is prohibited.
Therefore, passengers are forced to cross the gray zone on foot or use buses of Automotor Transport Company PU (Public Utility) “Automobile Operating Company”. The fare from the checkpoint of the first turn of Mariinka is 10 UAH. Transport workers of the “Association of Road Carriers of Donbass” offer the Donetsk Regional State Administration to carry passengers in the gray zone for free. They’ve been doing it for several years in a row.
But for some reason, their initiative was not supported by the region. Last summer, the Association sent a letter with a proposal addressed to the governor once again. “We do not want to be outside the significant problems of the region. Moreover, we are ready to provide free travel of passengers while crossing the first turn of Mariinka checkpoint and Majorsk,” – the address says.
The proposal of transport workers was not supported in the regional state administration. In a letter of reply signed by Litvinov, the head of the Department of Basic Industries, the request is to provide citizens' address and information about enterprises of the Association of Road Carriers of Donbass.
However, the transport workers did not give up and found a way out. Yesterday the buses of three Automobile Operating Companies drove out with free trips from Novotroitskoye Checkpoint to Volnovakha bus station as well as from Mariinka Checkpoint to Kurakhovo bus station. This information was provided to ZI journalists by Timofey Shkinder, the Head of “Vostochnye Avtovokzaly” LLC.
The initiative of transport workers was blessed by the local leadership: Alexander Teslya, the head of the Civil-military Administration of Mariinka and by the District Council of Volnovakha. The fare which is saved by the residents of the region on the route Novotroitskoe – Volnovaha bus station is 50 UAH and 20 UAH on the route Mariinka–Kurakhovo bus station. There are no restrictions as to number of passengers.
