Baku Bus Waits for Start of European Games

A year has passed since creating Ltd. Baku Bus by the decision of the Cabinet. The new bus company will begin providing services on or after the beginning of the first European Games - the 12th of June.

The routes that will be run by the buses of this company have not even been defined. The decision of the Cabinet of Ministers on 3 April 2014 entrusted the resolution of this issue to the Ministry of Transport and the Executive Power of Baku City.

In February this year, President Ilham Aliyev visited the construction site of a bus depot Ltd. Baku Bus, during which he was accompanied by Finance Minister Samir Sharifov. It was stated that 302 buses Iveco were purchased in France. The new company will employ about 900 people, including 650 drivers.

For the formation of the authorized capital of Baku Bus in 2014, the state budget allocated 30 million manat. Local media say that only for the purchase of 150 buses a French company was paid $ 68 million.

The site Ltd. Baku Bus (www.bakubus.az) gives no information about its activities.

To pay the cost of travel on Baku Bus by plastic cards, terminals Baki Kart are being installed in metro stations.

According to the Ministry of Transport, passenger transport in Baku is employed by 32 companies, which operate more than 2,800 buses. The Ministry of Transport operates the state-run Baki Sernishin və Yuk Dashimalarinin Teshkili (the organization of passenger and cargo traffic in Baku). Baku Bus operates under the Executive Power of Baku. --08B