Editor’s Note: Seven people needed medical treatment after a 1-meter-wide hot water pipe broke in Kyiv, flooding the Ocean Plaza mall and a road nearby. The city authorities later revealed that the pipe was installed in the 1970s. Following the incident, we asked people in Kyiv what are the city’s main infrastructure problems.
Vel Kravel
“Parking worries me the most. More importantly, how drivers park their cars. More specifically, for instance, I simply can’t pass through with my stroller. Drivers think that they need to park somewhere and feel that it’s not their problem that there is no space. Often, with my baby, I am forced to come out onto the road.”
Anna Vitruk
“Sidewalks! Sidewalks are the problem. They’re just awful. Awful. Broken, ruined. Everywhere. In the center and not in the center. Everywhere. It’s awful.”
Kateryna Stelmar
editor
“Well, I think in the last two years there has been a really big problem with traffic jams. I think the biggest problem with infrastructure in Kyiv is the traffic. But, I think the problems with infrastructure are tied in a lot more with the wider issues. With infrastructure, with traffic. I think the whole problem is tied in with politics. Everything is tied to politics. With traffic, I think that (Kyiv Mayor Vitali) Klitschko has something to do with it and I think they want someone different to Klitschko now.”
Yevhen Photusnkyi
communications engineer
“Probably the accessibility of infrastructure to everyone in the city. For people with disabilities, I think, in particular. Not a lot of crossings. There’s a very short time slot for someone to cross from when the lights turn green to red. There isn’t enough equipment to help people with disabilities to cross the road. Not a lot of safe asphalt, either. Like even here (in Taras Shevchenko Park), I can probably point out some part of the road here that is ruined. It’s really quite awful. I can speak about infrastructure problems in Kyiv all day. Like the metro, as well, or assistance for the visually-impaired to cross the road. It’s a big problem, I think.”
Zoryana Martsinyuk
manager
“The biggest problem? Well, the attitude of our officials to infrastructure. That’s the main problem of infrastructure in our city. Because they still can’t figure out the solution to this problem, and that’s it.”
