Ukraine and Uzbekistan are introducing a “transport visa-free regime,” which provides for the abolition of permits and related quotas for direct and transit international freight truck transportation between the two countries.
A corresponding protocol between the governments of Ukraine and the Republic of Uzbekistan amending the bilateral Agreement on International Road Transport was signed on September 30, 2026, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Uzbekistan.
According to the diplomatic mission, the preparation of the document took nearly a year.
The main change will be the simplification of direct and transit freight transport by eliminating the need to obtain permits, as well as quantitative quotas for such transport. This regime, by analogy with other agreements in the field of international road transport, is referred to as “transport visa-free travel.”
For Ukrainian and Uzbek carriers, this will mean the removal of one of the administrative barriers to organizing freight transport between the two countries and transit through their territories.
The embassy expects that the liberalization of road transport will contribute to the restoration of Ukraine’s trade and economic ties with Uzbekistan, which were partially disrupted due to logistical problems following the start of full-scale Russian aggression.
The agreement takes on particular significance amid the restructuring of Ukraine’s foreign trade and the search for alternative transport corridors to Central Asia.
“The removal of bureaucratic barriers should soon facilitate the restoration of full-fledged trade and economic ties between Ukraine and the Republic of Uzbekistan,” the embassy noted.
The diplomatic mission also described the new agreement as one of the steps toward Ukraine’s return to Central Asian markets via new logistics routes.
The protocol, signed on September 30, amends the existing intergovernmental Agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan on international road transport. Specifically, it concerns the liberalization of direct and transit freight transport by road. The embassy’s statement does not provide for the abolition of other customs, border, or transportation procedures required for the international transport of goods.
Original source – Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing the city of Kyiv with a loan of 150 million euros to purchase new energy-efficient subway cars, spare parts, and maintenance and diagnostic equipment for the Kyiv Metro municipal enterprise, the bank’s press office announced on Wednesday.
The loan is backed by a partial guarantee from Spain and supplemented by grant funding from the bank’s internal resources.
“The new subway cars are expected to be up to 25% more energy-efficient than the outdated cars they will replace, ensuring a more environmentally friendly, safer, and more reliable subway service,” the statement said.
In addition to the purchase of rolling stock, the EBRD will fund an audit of the metro’s accessibility to develop an action plan for inclusive transportation throughout Kyiv, tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, veterans, elderly passengers, and parents with children. The bank will also support a three-year training program for female electric train drivers in partnership with UN Women’s “She Drives” initiative to address the labor shortage.
In total, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the EBRD has allocated nearly 11 billion euros to support Ukraine’s real economy.
EBRD, KYIV, LOAN, METRO, TRANSPORTATION
Starting October 1, 2026, a new electronic toll system called TollRo will go into effect in Romania for freight vehicles with a maximum authorized mass exceeding 3.5 metric tons, according to the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration of Romania (CNAIR).
The new system will apply to vehicles designed for the transport of goods with a maximum authorized mass exceeding 3.5 metric tons. For the purposes of TollRo, mixed-use vehicles will be treated as commercial vehicles.
Unlike the traditional vignette system, the fee for heavy freight vehicles will be based on actual use of the road infrastructure.
The fee amount will depend, in particular, on the distance traveled, the vehicle category, and its environmental characteristics. Thus, for international carriers that regularly transit through Romania, the cost of using the road network will increasingly depend on the specific route and the truck’s characteristics.
To administer the payments, Romania has established the STRR electronic toll collection system, which will operate through the national SETRE platform.
The introduction of TollRo is also significant for Ukrainian international trucking companies, as Romania is one of the key road routes for Ukrainian exports and imports to the EU, as well as for the transit of goods to Central and Southeastern Europe.
Accordingly, transportation companies using trucks weighing more than 3.5 metric tons in Romania must take the new road toll model into account when calculating transportation costs after October 1.
CNAIR clarifies that August 31, 2026, was the deadline for establishing the necessary STRR and TollRo infrastructure, while the actual collection of the new tolls, in accordance with the law, begins on October 1.
The next step will be the integration of the Romanian system with similar systems in other European Union countries. According to Romanian law, interoperability via the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) is scheduled to begin on January 15, 2027.
The transition to distance-based tolling is in line with a general trend in the EU, where road tolls for heavy commercial vehicles are increasingly linked to actual infrastructure use and the environmental performance of vehicles.
Official information about the system’s launch and its operating rules is available on the SETRE National Electronic Registry platform.
In Romania, a new electronic road toll system called TollRo will take effect on October 1, 2026, for freight vehicles with a maximum allowable weight exceeding 3.5 metric tons, according to the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration of Romania (CNAIR).
The new system will apply to vehicles intended for freight transport with a maximum authorized mass exceeding 3.5 metric tons. For the purposes of TollRo, mixed-use vehicles will be treated as freight vehicles.
Unlike the traditional vignette system, the fee for heavy freight transport will be based on actual use of the road infrastructure.
The amount of the fee will depend, in particular, on the distance traveled, the vehicle category, and its environmental characteristics. Thus, for international carriers that regularly transit through Romania, the cost of using the road network will increasingly depend on the specific route and the truck’s specifications.
To administer the charges, Romania has established the STRR electronic toll collection system, which will operate via the national SETRE platform.
The introduction of TollRo is also significant for Ukrainian international trucking companies, as Romania is one of the key road routes for Ukrainian exports and imports to the EU, as well as for the transit of goods to Central and Southeastern Europe.
Accordingly, transportation companies using trucks weighing more than 3.5 metric tons in Romania must take the new road toll model into account when calculating transportation costs after October 1.
CNAIR clarifies that August 31, 2026, was the deadline for establishing the necessary STRR and TollRo infrastructure, while the actual collection of the new tolls, in accordance with the law, begins on October 1.
The next step will be the integration of the Romanian system with similar systems in other European Union countries. According to Romanian law, interoperability via the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) is scheduled to become operational on January 15, 2027.
The transition to distance-based tolling is in line with a general trend in the EU, where road tolls for heavy commercial vehicles are increasingly linked to actual infrastructure use and the environmental performance of vehicles.
Official information about the system’s launch and its operating rules is available on the SETRE National Electronic Registry platform.
Germany has provided 5 pickup trucks and 5 cargo vans for track workers, communications specialists, and power engineers to help restore damaged infrastructure and resume train service as quickly as possible following Russian attacks on the railway, according to a statement by Ukraine’s Ministry of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport on its Telegram channel.
“After every strike, repair crews must be dispatched to the site as quickly as possible to restore infrastructure and train service. This requires people, equipment, and, of course, transportation.
We thank the railroad workers for their 24/7 efforts. And we thank Germany for its consistent support and practical assistance. It is important to us that this support continues and intensifies,” said Deputy Minister Volodymyr Shemaev.
The equipment was handed over by Boris Ruge, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine.
Ukrainian transport companies may receive compensation amounting to 10–15% of their investments in the modernization of vehicles and equipment to meet European Union standards, according to Gabriel Blanc, head of the working group on Ukraine’s reconstruction at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood.
According to “Interfax-Ukraine”, this mechanism applies to companies that take out loans from Ukrainian banks and invest in technologies that meet EU standards.
“We have what is known as a cashback mechanism: if a company takes out a loan from a Ukrainian bank and invests in technologies that meet EU standards, we can offer a refund of 10–15% of the investment amount,” Blanc noted during the event “Regional Business Dialogues on European Integration: The Transportation Sector” in Lviv.
According to him, Ukraine has currently fully implemented less than 10% of EU transport rules and standards, and has partially implemented less than half. Key tasks include harmonizing social and market regulations in the road transport sector, strengthening enforcement of compliance, and developing inspection and investigation bodies for rail and water transport.
Among the investments that Ukrainian carriers may need to make in order to operate according to European standards, Blanc cited the installation of second-generation smart tachographs, the purchase of Euro 6-compliant vehicles, and compliance with driver working time requirements. He noted that for small and medium-sized enterprises, such costs can be substantial, especially during wartime.
At the same time, the European Commission views this modernization as an investment in Ukrainian businesses’ future access to the EU transport market and their long-term competitiveness.
Support for transportation companies can be provided both directly to large Ukrainian enterprises and through banks. Currently, the ten largest Ukrainian banks are utilizing risk-sharing mechanisms, which helps reduce credit risks, particularly for small businesses, enterprises in frontline regions, and relocated companies.
The total portfolio under the risk-sharing mechanism already exceeds EUR 6 billion. The EU plans to further scale up financing programs for Ukrainian companies that are investing in bringing their operations into compliance with European standards.
