The improvement of public transport is an important issue for every big city. Complex measures are taken in this direction in Baku city. The bus park is renovated; vehicles meeting modern standards are commissioned in villages and settlements of the capital. The targets for the upcoming years are to create parking areas and ensure a close connection betweeb taxi, metro and bus services.
Last year, 801 million passengers were transported by 2, 200 buses in Baku. The number of transporters operating in the field of public transport was reduced from 65 to 37. The scale of the transition to cashless payment on buses has been expanded to increase the comfort of citizens and the level of the service. Buses, which operate on more than 600 regular lines, use the "BakuCard" payment. All buses are expected to transition to the cashless payment by the middle of this year.
It will lead to the abolishment of the direct communication between drievrs and passengers and serve the movement of buses according to a proper schedule and prevention of passenger density in public transport. In 2019, the Koroglu Transport Exchange Center was commissioned to simplify the movement to villages and settlements, prevent the passenger density and fight against illegal passenger transportation. This year, new hubs will be created in the areas with the dense population.
The fight against illegal parking is also on the agenda, because the illegal parking of a car may cause trouble for hundreds of people. Taking into account complaints and suggestions of passengers, previously, bus drivers were subjected to strict examination before being allowed to drive. So far, more than 2, 800 drivers have gone through trainings at the Drivers Training Center that was created last year.
Every year, on average 300 new buses are brought to the capital via Baku Transport Agency at the cost of the state budget. As a result of this, over the past 5 years, 855 buses have been replaced with new ones. 600 out of them have been brought at the task of the head of state. Thus, approximately 40% of the bus park has been renewed. It is planned to make this indicator 100% in the next 3 years.
Sabir Bilalov