Baku Transport Concept to be ready soon

/By Azernews/

By Nigar Abbasova

Development of the sphere of public transport as well as introduction and use of innovations to facilitate the use of public transport by residents and guests of the capital city remains one of the priority areas for the government of Azerbaijan.

Baku Transport Agency is currently developing a Baku Transport Concept which will be completed in the short run, Nurida Allahyarova, PR Manager at the agency told Trend.

The concept is aimed at ensuring a comfortable and safe movement of people in taxis and buses. The concept envisages the introduction of certain mandatory rules in relation to bus and taxi drivers.

The concept will cover all issues related to the legislation on road traffic and passenger transportation as well as issues that are important given the modern realia.

 “For instance, the current legislature lacks a clause on the rules of conduct between passenger and driver. Most of the appeals are connected with the rude behavior of drivers and stop of busses in inappropriate places,” she said.

She also mentioned that the biggest problem in the sphere is defining of passenger traffic. Currently, the Agency is working on defining the volume of passenger traffic on different routes of the administrative territory of Baku. Optimum alternatives will be offered after the launch of the process.     

Main objective of the Concept is the application of an integrated urban transport system and its regulation by a single body to ensure the state supervision over the system.

The agency is planning to take further steps and implement certain projects to improve the sphere. A special education centre under the Baku Transport Agency was recently established. Bus drivers will have to pass a specific examination in order to ensure their capability for safe transportation of people. The agency is also considering installation of cameras in taxi cabs.

The concept also envisages installation of a cooling system in all transport facilities. The practice is widely used in most of the countries and some countries even install air conditioners at bus stops so that passengers do not suffer from the heat. Currently, only newest busses are equipped with the air conditioning in Baku.

Moreover, buses will be equipped with new GPS-trackers that will send all necessary data to the dispatch center. The information will indicate the location of the vehicle, speed, fuel consumption and condition of the equipment, including the data if the engine is on, doors opened, etc. Thus, drivers will be under a stricter control. The important fact is that they will not be able to affect the process of a GPS-tracker work as the software will immediately detect and report the dispatchers about any intervention.

The Agency also submitted its proposals for tackling the issue of rush-hour traffic to relevant agencies. 

The country has already taken certain steps for the promotion of the sphere of public transport. 

Being established in December 2015, Baku Transport Agency is empowered to implement a control over the fulfillment of normative acts in the sphere of regular passenger transportation by automobile transport and taxi cars in the administrative area of Baku.