Ukrainian carriers say transportation services to Transnistria are not profitable

The carriers in Ukraine consider that the transportation services to the Transnistrian region are unprofitable and unattractive. Only several regular international transit services are now run from Tiraspol to Odessa, Nikolaev and Kiev, Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in Tiraspol reports. On October 1, 2009, Ukraine suspended unilaterally the transportation services to Odessa and Balta, saying they will be resumed only under parity agreements. Transnistrian deputy minister of industry Alexei Molcheanski said the Ukrainian authorization for providing transportation services on the Tiraspol-Odessa route can be obtained only if the Ukrainian carriers accept transporting passengers to Tiraspol. All the authorizations are issued through Moldova and this causes difficulties, Alexei Molcheanski said. According to the Transnistrian ministry of industry, the major transportation services run by Transnistria via Ukraine, through border settlements, are not profitable and attractive for the Ukrainian carriers. Consequently, it is very hard to find an analogous Ukrainian service, Molcheanski said. So far, the Transnistrian authorities managed to sign one agreement with Ukraine to be issued with authorizations for six services – to Slobodka, Kotovsk, Grebeniki, Razdelinoe, Ananiev and Plosca.