Car transportation and Travel in Odessa Ukraine
Driving in Ukraine
Most
international rules apply in Ukraine. However many
Ukrainian drivers fail to follow them.
General Driving Laws
Speed limits are:
- 60 km (37 miles)
an hour in cities
- 90 km (56 miles) an
hour in suburbs and less populated areas
- 130 km (81 miles)
an hour on highways.
Any alcohol in
a driver's blood is prohibited. Do not expect the
luxury of a Breathalyzer test. Traffic police will
make the decision to charge based only on the smell of
your breath.
State traffic
police (GAI/ ГAI, or ДAI / DAI in Ukrainian) wear
dark gray or blue uniforms and carry black and white
batons which they wave to order you to pull over. They
will often park next to a busy road and flag cars to
pull over, regardless if any of these cars have any
moving violations.
Traffic violations
should go before the court, paying a fine on the
spot has been completely abolished. (Although it
is common for drivers to bribe the police to avoid
court)
Traffic police
sometimes regulate traffic at intersections,
particularly when the electricity shuts down.
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Distance from Kiev to
Odessa:
Distance from Lviv to Odessa:
Distance from Simferopol to Odessa:
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480
kilometers (298 miles)
743 kilometers (461 miles)
473 kilometers (298 miles)
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Beware of student drivers, indicated by this sign.
Street names
Street names are often hard to see from a car, usually
being on the buildings. All signs are in Ukrainian or Russian.
Parking
Parking in Odessa is difficult. Park in designated
parking areas to ensure the safety of your car. State
owned parking is located around the city and have
varying prices dependant on the location of the lot.
Fuel Stations
Credit cards are rarely accepted. Payment is by the
liter. (.26 gallons)
Entering Ukraine by
Car
A private's individual vehicle entering Ukraine must
be registered at the DAI no later than two months
after the entrance date. The car must also be
withdrawn from registration before leaving the
country. Information on the registration process is
available at GAI.
International
Drivers License
Foreigners must have an international driver's
license issued in the country of their citizenship and
personal passport with a valid visa.
Foreign drivers are
permitted to use their driver's license one year from
the date of entering Ukraine without registering it at
GAI.
After a year they need
to pass a required driving exam in order to register
the driver's license at GAI.
Address for more
information on the required driving exam and
registration:
Region (Oblast) registration
and examination department
(областное регистрационное- экзаменационное
отделение)
Akademeka Koroleva
5 (Академика Королева)
Tel: 47-77-85
Be warned:
A driving exam and most especially registration
will be an incredibly bureaucratic and difficult
process, exposing the foreigner to the worst of the
infamous Ukrainian bureaucracy.
Car insurance
Every driver is required to have Driver's liability
license Ukraine by law, which can be purchased in
Ukraine. Another way for a foreigner to have an
insurance Green card, issued in their country
Purchasing liability
insurance costs between Hr 8 and Hr 16 for Hr 2,000
worth of insurance coverage per year. Liability
insurance covers only medical costs associated with
the injuries of passengers in your and other cars or
pedestrians involved in an accident caused by your
car.
Green card
A green card can be acquired from various insurance
companies. Ukraine is a member of the International
Green card system.
Accidents
If a foreign green card holder causes an accident,
that person should hand their green card over to the
accident victim and immediately notify the GAI of the
accident. The accident victim is eligible to receive
damages from the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ukraine.
Telephone: (044) 227-7184
If you are in an
accident:
- Wait for the State
Automobile Inspection officials to arrive.
- Do not leave the
scene of the accident.
- To avoid being
swindled, do not agree to settle the accident
without the police
Unwritten rules of
the road
Like in many countries, when a car heading towards
you flashes their lights, this means that:
- there is an
upcoming speed trap,
- your beams are on
high, or
- in the case of
pedestrians, move out of the way.
Unique car dangers, this vehicle fell through
the
weak delapitated street in the middle of Odessa
Photo from web
Driving in
Ukraine
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Close your eyes, hold onto something, and pray.
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Almost all Ukrainian taxi drivers should be
recruited by American racing circuits.
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The drivers know the exact width of their cars.
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The horn solves all problems.
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Who has the right-of-way? Your driver.
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Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way.
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If you hear a car horn while you are in the
street, run to the nearest curb.
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If you hear a car horn while you are on the
sidewalk, run into the nearest building.
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Most roads do not have lines to indicate lanes.
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Roads that do have lines to indicate lanes are
driven on just like those without lines.
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Most roads have potholes that your driver will
swerve all over (ALL OVER) the road to avoid.
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If there is a large pothole in the road and
another vehicle is coming towards you, your
driver has the right to swerve in front of them
and make them stop.
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If there are cars already in the turn lane, it
is okay to make a new turn lane to cut in front
of them.
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It doesn't matter how many cars are between your
car and the intersection, your driver will find
a way to get to the front.
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Most cars are the typical Eastern European small
boxy cars that were created in the 70's.
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All cars are stick shift.
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Most cars do not have air-conditioning.
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The rear left door of most taxi cabs cannot be
opened.
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Red means stop, then comes yellow which means
"get ready", and then green means go.
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If you are crossing
the road and you see a yellow light, run to the
nearest curb. Drivers take off on the yellow
lights.
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Red lights can be ignored if your driver is in a
hurry.
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Flashing yellow lights are broken. They could
mean caution, but it wouldn't matter anyways.
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A
typical drive in a taxi costs 5 to 10 greevna,
which is equivalent to $1 or $2.
-
There is no need to tip drivers.
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Be quiet when approaching a taxi with your
translator. Let your translator negotiate a
price before the driver hears your English and
knows you are a foreigner. You'll get a better
price this way.
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The above driving rules are void if there is a
road cop standing nearby.
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Be prepared to stop for cattle and goats on
country roads.
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Always check the seat when you get out of a taxi
to be sure you did not forget anything.
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