Checks by Ukrtransbezpeka: what businesses need to know

A single roadside inspection by Ukrtransbezpeka today can stop part of the fleet, disrupt delivery and wipe out a month’s profit with fines. Against the backdrop of tighter control, new approaches to roadside raids and growing penalties, the question is no longer whether Ukrtransbezpeka will come, but in what status the business will meet it – as a compliant carrier or as a violator.

In 2025, control focuses not only on classic on‑site inspections but primarily on roadside checks of vehicles “on the road”. All vehicles of Ukrainian and foreign businesses that transport passengers and cargo by road within Ukraine are inspected – from small carriers to large logistics groups.

Regulatory framework and new control priorities
The key document for Ukrtransbezpeka remains Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1567, which approves the Procedure for state control in road transport and, separately, the Procedure for conducting roadside inspections. Recent amendments to these procedures have increased attention to transport safety, drivers’ working and rest time, dimensional and weight control, and proper transport documentation.

In 2025, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development approved an exhaustive list of issues that Ukrtransbezpeka inspectors are allowed to check during raids. This means that a business can go through the entire checklist in advance and build compliance exactly with what inspectors will actually look at, rather than with some vague “broad powers”.

How roadside inspections are carried out
A roadside inspection is conducted by mobile inspector teams on the basis of an official assignment, which must be in paper or electronic form. Ukrtransbezpeka pre‑approves routes and lists of locations where raids are carried out: roads, weight‑control checkpoints, bus station areas, passenger pick‑up/drop‑off points and cargo loading zones.

During a raid the inspector checks:

• availability of a licence and licence cards;
• transport documents (contracts, orders, CMR/waybills, tickets, route sheets, etc.);
• drivers’ medical examinations, working and rest time, tachograph/individual control books;
• compliance with dimensional and weight limits, availability of insurance, and the technical condition of the vehicle.

Fines that already hurt
Even one formal error can be costly for a business: transporting passengers without a licence entails fines from UAH 17,000 to 34,000, and serious breaches of dimensional and weight norms can reach tens of thousands of hryvnias. Liability is also increasing for failure to comply with lawful demands of inspectors, refusal to allow inspection and ignoring orders – in such cases fines for officials already reach five‑figure amounts.

Recent court practice shows that the chances of “beating” a fine due to formal violations on the inspectors’ side are decreasing, as courts increasingly support Ukrtransbezpeka’s position in disputes about overloading and missing documents. Preventive preparation therefore becomes a much more effective investment than attempts to challenge sanctions after the fact.

Business rights during control
A carrier has the right to demand from the Ukrtransbezpeka official an ID and an inspection assignment and, if they are missing, to record the violation for further appeal. Video recording of the inspection, involvement of a lawyer, obtaining a copy of the inspection report and submitting written objections within the statutory deadlines are allowed.

At the same time, refusing inspectors access without proper legal grounds, failing to provide documents or refusing to comply with a lawful demand can themselves become grounds for a separate fine, including for the company’s officials. Therefore, a business strategy should be based not on confrontation but on strict observance of inspection procedures and competent recording of every inspector’s action.

Carrier’s “homework”
To meet an inspection in the “ready” status, a business should already now:

• carry out an internal audit of licences, licence cards, contracts with customers, waybills and other documents required by Procedure No. 1567;
• check how medical examinations, control of working and rest time, and keeping tachographs/logbooks work in practice;
• update driver instructions regarding the set of documents to have on board and the behaviour algorithm during inspections;
• monitor changes in legislation and court practice and periodically conduct short compliance trainings for drivers and dispatchers.

For companies that are systematically engaged in road transport, it is a logical step to introduce internal checklists for roadside inspections and to involve a specialised lawyer – from document preparation to appealing inspection reports in case of conflict. In the realities of 2025, this is no longer “insurance just in case” but an element of normal operational security for the business.

Author – Maksym Bahniuk, Head of Tax and Customs Law Practice at the “WINNER Law Firm” Attorneys’ Association.