Gas Crisis Forcing Many Russians to Turn to Problem-Plagued Public Transport

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 20 – Not surprisingly, Russians who are unable to get gas for their cars are turning to public transportation, only to discover that that system on which they generally had to rely is suffering from serious problems and that these problems which they had ignored because of their cars have seriously intensified since Putin launched his expanded war in Ukraine.

            That is the conclusion of an Important Stories investigation written up by the portal’s journalist Rina Nikolayeva who says there do not appear to be any quick fixes and that Russians without gas are often without bus service as well (istories.media/news/2026/07/20/v-35-regionakh-rossii-podnyali-tseni-na-proezd-ili-sokratili-marshruti/).

            In 25 federal subjects, she writes, public transportation operators, both private and governmental, have raised prices since the gas crisis began, a natural response given that they are having to pay more for fuel as well; and in 10 more regions and republics, these services have reduced the number of routes and the frequency of buses.

            “Public transport,” Nikolayeva continues, “can work normally only when the local authorities treat it as a vital infrastructure like sewage or water supply and allocate enough funds from the budget for its development and operation.” But a present, “the level of underfunding is catastrophic.” And Russians are increasing left with no transportation options.

            The gas shortage crisis is only one of the reasons for this, the Important Stories journalist says. There is also a serious shortage in the number of drivers, many of whom left that service to fight in Ukraine given the large bonuses the state offered for those who volunteered to do so. But as a result, there simply are no drivers for many buses.

            This isn’t a headline-grabbing kind of development, but it almost certainly plays a role in the rising anger Russians now feel about their situation and the declining approval they are giving to Vladimir Putin, the person whose policies including the expanded war in Ukraine is behind it.