Residents of small Sverdlovsk cities are forced to spend a significant portion of their salary on transportation.

      In the Sverdlovsk region, the cost of intercity travel continues to rise, making it increasingly expensive for residents of small towns to commute to work in Yekaterinburg. This has particularly affected Alapaevsk and Novaya Lyalya.

      — I have an acquaintance who works in Yekaterinburg on a three-day shift. One day at work, then a bus to Alapaevsk, and three days at home. The salary is modest but allows for rent and basic groceries. A ticket from Yekaterinburg to Alapaevsk costs 900 rubles. A person spends a third of their salary on intercity travel. She works as a caregiver in a nursing home, — quotes a resident of Alapaevsk from the publication "FederalPress."

      Residents of Novaya Lyalya also complain about the rising cost of trips.

      — Last year, a ride on the "Finist" cost 750 rubles, and since the beginning of the year, it has risen to 816 rubles. For buses: at the end of 2024, the fare was 1240 rubles without luggage payment, and now, if you buy a ticket online, it costs 1390 rubles. Therefore, "Finists" are the most convenient, cheap, and democratic way to get from Lyalya to Yekaterinburg, — noted a local resident.

      According to locals, in 2018, the road from Alapaevsk to Yekaterinburg cost 350 rubles. At that time, there was a discount for full-time students. Meanwhile, many Ural residents cannot give up trips to Yekaterinburg due to the lack of comparable earnings locally.

      According to the publication's calculations, with a three-day shift schedule, a resident of Alapaevsk can spend about 6800 rubles a month on trips to work. The return trip after a shift costs about 7280 rubles, so total transportation expenses can amount to a quarter to half of their earnings.

      The Sverdlovsk Ministry of Transport clarified that on routes with unregulated tariffs, carriers independently set the fare. Companies obtain the right to serve such routes based on the results of open competitions.

      Earlier, we reported that train fares in the Sverdlovsk region have also increased.