On October 31, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Route taxis in the Vitebsk region will set travel prices based on costs from November 1, the transport and communications department of the regional executive committee informed a BELTA correspondent. Travel on urban public transport in the region will increase from Br800 to Br1100 from November 1. Travel for schoolchildren on urban public transport to their place of study and extracurricular activities will be free. Route taxi owners will form travel prices based on costs and competitive market conditions, while the profitability of their services will be limited to 15%. As explained in the regional executive committee, the increase in fares for urban public transport is due to the rise in fuel and electricity prices. However, this increase in travel costs will not cover the transport enterprises' expenses. Valery Ilyukovich, director of bus depot No. 1 in Vitebsk, noted that the tariff increase will somewhat alleviate the economic situation of the bus depot, but will not stabilize it. The director considers increasing bus drivers' wages a top priority. According to the bus depot's economists, for the enterprise to operate break-even, travel on city buses, taking into account current budget subsidies, should be at least Br2 thousand. -0-

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