What?

The answer to this classic, Chernyshevski-Leninist question is obvious. Ukrainian tour operators should do their utmost to exercise pressure on government bodies to create a favorable business climate in the area of road passenger transport, including tour groups. In other words, we need a kind of tourist lobby in the power structures, in the first place - in the parliament. Perhaps, at some stage management, it would be teaming up with transportation lobbyists - in the end, the interests of passenger motor carriers and tour operators are very similar. Must work together to change existing laws and enact new ones that would facilitate the development of bus-building in Ukraine - without such a legislative provision of serious investors will not come to us. But if enabling legislation is already in 5-7 years in our country would receive the first Mercedes, mana, or even Neoplan. And for the transitional period should pass a law that would have allowed the duty-free imports to Ukraine tourist class buses and dalnema-gistralnyh modern airliners - ie, precisely the kind of technology which is not produced in Ukraine.

I can not say that in this respect nothing is done - well, at a meeting of the Cabinet decision was taken to ensure the needs of truckers and tourist companies in preparation for Euro 2012 to bring on concessional terms, ie without taxes, fees and excise taxes , 1000 buses - long-haul airliners and urban machines ultrahigh capacity. However, this decision has not yet been fulfilled - in Ukraine there is no legislative mechanism for the release of vehicles from taxes and fees. The bill, prepared by the Ministry of Transport in cooperation with public associations of motor carriers, as AsMAP and WAIPA, which is already a month waiting for the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada ... Meanwhile, our neighbors, despite the fact that they have made road transport vehicle, find an opportunity to release their carriers and tour operators from the excessive \u0026quot;customs clearance\u0026quot;. Read all of this went against Moldova: today there taxes, fees and excise taxes for the import of vehicles available - the importer pays only a token fee for the registration of the car. In Russia, these rules are in place since 2003, but only in respect of tractors for semi-trucks. However, in anticipation of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia Transport Ministry has prepared a similar bill, and for some types of buses. Similar processes are taking place today in Belarus.

In parallel with the preparation of conditions for production in Ukraine of modern buses charter and implement immediate measures to liberalize their imports of government agencies, especially Ministry of Transport, would be worth a dedicated bus to revive the exhibition of 2004. 

In already distant 2002, the year the author of these lines, first arrived in Istanbul, I saw on board one of the tourist liners modest inscription: \u0026quot;This is a 2500-th bus Mercedes, made in Turkey. The pride of the Turkish guide, who translated for me this inscription, was indescribable. So really and we could not achieve something similar? Is not it time, and Ukraine to establish a favorable climate in the industry, in particular, to enter the civilized mode of import of buses? Otherwise, how would not have had some time to carry tourists on carts, ox ...