9 days until Eurovision
Kyiv city authorities announced restriction on the movement of road transport and … pedestrians. The list of streets, where the movement of traffic and pedestrians for whatever reason was limited, is quite impressive. And the meaning of the phrase „From 24:00 on 24th of April to 24:00 on 18th of May the movement of pedestrians on Khreshchatyk street (from Bohdan Khmelnytsky street to Prorizna street, on the bottom part of the pavement on the odd side of the Khreshchatyk street) will be prohibited” we still have not been able to decipher. Accessibility?
For two weeks from 30th of April to 14th of May the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on two major streets in both directions will be limited. Also on the 6th and 7th of May a large number of streets will be blocked temporarily for transport and pedestrians. All in all, the number of restrictions on movement of vehicles and pedestrians around the city is astounding. This reorganisation of the city does not contribute to comfort of its residents, but means specific obstacles and prohibitions brought on by Eurovision. Thousands of people – and many of them cannot afford or do not want to buy tickets to the event – are forced to change their everyday lives. For undisturbed operation of the competition restrictions and prohibitions are carried out with even
stronger militarisation of the city than before. What else could one do, to make those 10000 policemen occupied?
City government expenditures covering large-scale changes of the city infrastructure on eve of Eurovision are bewildering against the backdrop of the permanent inaction towards the city inhabitants. For some reason the situation with non-inclusive and discriminatory nature of streets, passages and public transport remains unchanged for years. Kyiv underground stations remain inaccessible to elderly, people using wheelchairs and prams. Bicycle infrastructure is virtually absent in the city. Obviously, instilling short-term superficial impression of Kyiv as modern and sophisticated city among European public is deemed to be more important than inclusivity and comfort of the city for its residents.