Road marking application in Odesa is delayed due to issues in the "SMEP" department.
The procurement of materials for road marking in Odesa is delayed due to personnel issues at the municipal enterprise "SMEP". Deputy head of the enterprise, Denis Koval, attributed this to "internal management issues," but was unable to provide specific reasons or solutions. The tender for the purchase of cold plastic is ongoing, and road marking is planned to be carried out in favorable weather conditions.
The procurement of materials for road marking in Odesa is delayed due to issues with management at the municipal enterprise "SMEP". This was reported by Deputy Head of "SMEP", Denis Koval, during a meeting of the transport committee of the city council.
Members of the commission expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in acquiring necessary materials, as the weather conditions may soon hinder the work. According to Denis Kovaly, the delays are due to "disagreements with management." He was unable to explain why the tender was not conducted in advance and how the company plans to catch up on the lost time. "SMEP" reported that the tender for the purchase of cold plastic is ongoing and will take approximately one month, and marking will be carried out in favorable weather conditions.
The head of the transport committee, Petro Obukhov, noted that there is another problem: Odessa is increasingly using cold plastic, which is significantly more durable than paint. According to him, the trend of reduction has been observed since 2022 year: then, about 41,5 km of markings were applied, in 2023-th year — 19 km, in 2024-th year — 12 km, in 2025-th year — 8 km, and this year — only 4 km.
According to a source from "Dumska," in the Department of Transport, Communication, and Road Traffic Organization, municipal workers find it easier to work with paint, as it is applied more quickly, which allows them to report on larger volumes of work within the same timeframe. "From the city's point of view, it is certainly better to use plastic. Paint is twice as expensive, but plastic is six times more durable. Unfortunately, municipal workers are primarily focused on demonstrating to management large volumes of work completed, rather than ensuring a long-term result." "In such cases, the markings need to be updated more frequently, and the initial savings on materials do not necessarily mean a benefit for the city budget in the long term," the source explained.