MARKETING INNOVATION ACTIVITY OF URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT: RESULTS OF THE EMPIRICAL STUDY

The problem of finding efficient models of managing the innovation activities of urban public transport providers is relevant in the recognition of innovation as the main principle of the strategy of economic and social development of Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to identify the ways to improve the marketing innovation management process of urban public transport service providers in the regional centers of Ukraine. The purpose has determined the need to solve such problems as to identify the degree of marketing orientation of urban public transport providers of the regional centers of Ukraine; identify problems and outline ways to improve the management of marketing activities of subjects of the national network of the urban public transportation. In January-March 2018, the authors initiated a study on the current state of urban public transport in regional Ukrainian cities. Following this, the requests for public information were submitted in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information" to all city councils of Ukraine's regions except temporarily occupied territories. The article analyses the quantitative and qualitative state of the fleet of vehicles, the requirements and the state of their observance by carriers, the level of fares, and the state of information provision of passengers of urban public transport in the regional cities in Ukraine. Empirical data obtained in the course of the study confirmed the appropriateness of the development of customer orientation of urban public transport service providers in terms of improving the quality of the fleet of vehicles (increase of the share of ecological transport and renewal of the fleet of vehicles); strengthening the control of city councils for the quality of services provided by carriers; intensification of cooperation of the city councils with representatives of the civil society within the framework of the Law of Ukraine "On Access to Public Information"; increase in the number of smart stops.