Buses and good practices. Kraków helps the city of Sumy
On April 15–16, Kraków hosted a delegation from the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which has recently suffered the devastating consequences of Russian attacks. On Palm Sunday, a missile strike on the center of Sumy resulted in the deaths of over 40 people and left another 100 seriously injured. Mayor of Kraków, Aleksander Miszalski, extended his condolences to the Consul General of Ukraine. Kraków will also be providing Sumy with humanitarian aid.
In response to an appeal from the authorities of Sumy – a city located just 30 km from the Russian border – Kraków is donating five used buses to the city. Due to the ongoing war, the residents of Sumy are facing numerous challenges in maintaining the continuity of essential municipal services, including public transportation, and buses are among the most pressing shortages.
The vehicles being donated by Kraków are 12-meter-long Mercedes Citaro buses from 2011. They were recently withdrawn from service by the Kraków Municipal Transport company (MPK) following the delivery of new vehicles, and their transfer to Ukraine will not affect the frequency or availability of Kraków’s public transport services.
The formal handover of the buses took place on Wednesday, April 16, in the presence of representatives from Sumy: Vitaliy Zhylenko, Advisor to the Mayor on Communal Services; Kostiantyn Tykhenko, Director of the municipal company "Misksvitlo"; and city council members Oleksandr Korolyov and Maksym Didukh. The event was also attended by Vyacheslav Voynarovskyi, Consul General of Ukraine in Kraków, and Valentyna Kuzmin, Deputy Consul General of Ukraine in Kraków.
During the visit to MPK, the guests were briefed on the operations and organizational model of the public transport company, and they toured the Service and Repair Station.
"I am deeply grateful to the city of Kraków and all its residents for the substantial and ongoing support for the people of Ukraine, who are suffering due to the war. This help has truly been invaluable," emphasized Consul General during the meeting.
The certificate of ownership confirming the donation of the buses was officially handed over to the Ukrainian delegation by Rafał Świerczyński, CEO of MPK Kraków. The donation is of great significance to Sumy, as Vitaliy Zhylenko explained:
"We are facing a severe shortage of vehicles available for transporting residents of our city. This is partly because some of our buses have been reassigned to military needs. The buses we are receiving from Kraków will be used for evacuating civilians. This is especially critical right now, as our public transport vehicles were destroyed in the most recent Russian attack. We are very grateful that, thanks to Kraków, five much-needed buses will arrive in our city."
The buses have already been prepared by MPK Kraków for transport. Later this month, MPK drivers will drive them to the Ukrainian border, where they will be collected by drivers from Sumy. It is worth noting that since the outbreak of the war, Kraków has also donated the total of six used buses to Lviv and Khmelnytskyi.
The formalities and logistics surrounding the transfer of the buses were not the only purpose of the Sumy delegation’s visit. The representatives also took the opportunity to learn about Kraków’s best practices and innovative solutions in various areas of municipal management.
On Tuesday, April 15, study visits were held at:
- ZDMK (Kraków Municipal Road Authority) – focused on the management of urban lighting in Kraków,
- MPO (Municipal Cleaning Company) – concerning the city’s integrated municipal waste management system,
- and the Eco-incineration Plant – the Municipal Waste-to-Energy Facility managed by Krakowski Holding Komunalny S.A.
In each of the municipal companies, the delegation had the opportunity to meet with management representatives and observe operations behind the scenes.
On April 16, before the MPK meeting, the delegation also visited the Kraków Crisis Management Center, where they answered numerous questions posed by the Department of Security and Crisis Management of the Kraków City Office, as well as by public order and emergency services including the Police, City Guard, and State Fire Service.
It was agreed that cooperation between Kraków and Sumy in the areas of municipal services and security management will continue, based on the evolving needs and capacities of both sides. Given Sumy’s exceptionally difficult situation – located close to the Russian border and constantly under attack – cooperation with Kraków’s institutions and the ability to receive humanitarian aid, such as buses for the evacuation of civilians, is invaluable.
