OVERVIEW OF THE INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT OF UKRAINE AND THE WAYS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT

Over the past three decades, both passenger and cargo transportation on Ukrainian rivers has practically ceased. This gap in cargo transportation is currently occupied by railroad and automobile transport, which explains the fact that various types of riverboats are extremely rare. Though paradoxical, it is nothing else than lost opportunity for national economy and Ukrainian society, as river transport is considered the most ecologically clean, safe and economically beneficial type of transport. To restore its importance and role as a significant alternative for all parties involved in the process of cargo transportation in 2020 on the government level, the law “On Inland Water Transport” was implemented. In addition, the relevant ministry has developed a development strategy for inland waterway transport in the years 2021–2031, as well as the action plan for its implementation. The document clearly presents the future of inland water transport and describes the steps to be taken for the development of the sector, and the river navigation was again developed and used for freight and passenger traffic. The strategy also takes into account the two current trends that are now observed all over the world — environmentally friendly transport and smart mobility, which meets all current EU standards for river transport.