MPS seek changes to system of preferential travel for veterans
The Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights has recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt as a basis Bill No. 5651-2 on travel benefits and some other benefits, designed to address the problem of unfair treatment of veterans, the Chesno Movement has reported.
“People’s deputies want to resolve the problem of preferential travel for veterans, when beneficiaries are treated unfairly and denied free travel on public transport. The Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights has recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt as a basis Bill No. 5651-2 on travel benefits and some other benefits,” the Chesno Movement website said in a statement on Monday.
This involves a transition from paper IDs and uncoordinated compensation to a digital system — each veteran or other beneficiary will receive a card that will allow them to pay for travel contactlessly. This card will be the confirmation of the right to a benefit. The calculation will be carried out using automated systems - validators or even a mobile application, if there is no validator. Representatives of the Ministry of Development are convinced that in the future 100% of public transport should switch to such systems.
The money will not go to the carrier, but directly to the person who has the benefit - and only after its verification. This will allow getting rid of abuses with fake documents, ensuring fairness in the provision of benefits and transparent use of budget funds. If the beneficiary does not use all the funds, they will return to the budget. Thus, support will be received not just by a “category”, but by a specific person who really needs help.
According to First Deputy Minister of Social Policy Daryna Marchak, the new approach will allow avoiding situations where veterans are denied travel or treated disdainfully. With the new system, every passenger with a card will be of equal value to the carrier - because the funds will be guaranteed. At the same time, there will be more opportunities for prioritization on the ground - communities will be able to independently determine which categories of beneficiaries should receive more support.
However, as noted in the message of the Chesno Movement, there are also caveats. The Association of Ukrainian Cities indicated that not all communities have the technical or financial capacity to quickly switch to the new system. For many, local compensation for carriers is already an unbearable burden, and additional burdens - without proper state support - can only deepen the problem.
“If the parliament supports the new model of preferential travel - this could be a turning point in how the state treats its veterans and those who have the right to decent support.” - the message notes.