In Mariupol, Russians Fail to Restore Transport Infrastructure After Four Years of Occupation
Residents of Mariupol, which has been under Russian occupation for four years, are expressing their outrage over the deteriorating state of the city's transport infrastructure, which has yet to be restored. The local city council has shared these concerns via their Telegram channel.
In Mariupol, a city that has remained under Russian occupation for four years, local residents are voicing their frustration regarding the state of the transport infrastructure, which has not been restored. According to reports from Ukrinform, the city council of Ukrainian Mariupol has communicated these issues through its Telegram channel.
The message highlights the residents' concerns about the destruction of tram tracks, which are being 'cut out' throughout the city. Citizens lament how electric transport was previously developing in Ukrainian Mariupol, and how the occupiers are now destroying it. 'They are cutting tram tracks everywhere - on Artema and on the Left Bank,' residents note. They emphasize that before the war, Mariupol had over ten tram routes connecting distant areas of the city, but now only one short route remains operational in a single district.
City residents report a severe shortage of both municipal and private transport. Morning routes are filled to capacity by the first or second stops, and waiting for buses can take up to an hour. 'The overcrowding reaches such a level that doors are getting damaged. For parents with strollers and people with limited mobility, there is often no space at all,' emphasize the residents of Mariupol.
A particular problem, according to residents, is the Left Bank area, which they believe is 'cut off' from the city. Transport to this district is almost non-existent, creating additional difficulties for local inhabitants. Furthermore, under occupation, there are serious issues with salary payments to municipal transport drivers, who go months without receiving their wages, while the transport itself remains without proper maintenance.
The city council reminded that before the onset of occupation, Mariupol ranked second in Ukraine for the comfort of its transport infrastructure, boasting a fleet of 100 buses, 89 trolleybuses, and 69 trams. However, the occupiers have destroyed this infrastructure, and now they are unable to establish either urban infrastructure or transport logistics. This confirms the challenging situation faced by the city's residents.
As previously reported, in Mariupol, the Russian army destroyed 90 percent of critical infrastructure in the spring of 2022, damaging over 38,000 private homes, of which 11,000 were completely wiped off the map. More than 50 percent of apartment buildings sustained significant damage, further complicating life for local residents.
City dwellers are calling for attention to this critical situation and hope for the restoration of normal transport connections in the future, as life becomes increasingly difficult without proper infrastructure.
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