Reformatting bus business launched in Baku

As previously reported, on April 14 was promulgated Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers on April 3 on the establishment of LLC BakuBus.

The government does not clearly formulate the goal of creating a new transport company in Baku Executive Power, but when you consider that announced was the purchase of only 200 buses, for which will be built a detached garage, you can guess that the new company will service the first European Olympic Games 2015 Baku.

For the current year for the new company the government has allocated 30 million manat. However, it is possible that the buses will be purchased under the game much more. More February 2, 2013 at a meeting of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the first European Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov, who virtually controls the private bus transport in the capital, said that to meet the needs of passengers, public transport in Baku requires the purchase of 1,200 additional buses. So that in the future we can talk about a fivefold increase procurement of buses.

 True Cabinet justifies its decision to establish LLC BakuBus on the need for services to passengers on bus transport to international standards, as well as their technical and environmental safety.

But this justification of users of public transport was heard in previous years, when control buses passed from hand to hand, but it did not change anything, either in terms of ecology, or comfort.

True motives of the decision of the Cabinet may be dictated by reformatting control over public transport of the capital. This is supported by the fact that the new venture was created or when the Ministry of Transport cornered the market since 2006. It can be seen as the reverse process control returns to the bosom of urban transport of the Municipality, and this process can be accelerated in the 2015 Olympic year.

In 2006, management of the bus depot of the capital was transferred to the decision of President of the Executive Power of Baku to the Ministry of Transport in order to improve service for passengers and public transport management. If earlier owners of bus routes have bought buses, now buses are purchased for this project under trucking companies LLC Baki Sernishin Negliyyati, Transgate and others, due to multi-million dollar public funds. Owners of small companies and routes were also forced to upgrade the fleet, removing lines more than 2,000 buses. According to official figures in the capital of passengers served by some 30 small and 2 large bus company with a fleet of over 2300 buses.

Huge illegal means, once ruled by the mayor's office, are under the control of the Ministry of Transport. Today the scope of this turnover is estimated at about 150 million. This amount consists of the following: according to the Ministry of Transport in Baku are 2800 buses. According to information received from the drivers, their daily plan is about AZN 150 (does not include their fuel costs, etc.), which in terms of form and figure of 150 million (2800 buses X 150 target X 365 days). Buses low quality brand DAEWOO state has purchased at an average price of about 70 000. Basically, they were purchased in 2007-2009, but how much is unknown. If we talk about the announced plans for that period, it was the order of about 1000 buses medium and large capacity. At that price and with such income could buy a 1000 buses per year. But this did not happen. Bus fleet is worn out, and passengers suffer from overcrowding salons, sanitation, fuzzy motion graphics, low culture and other drivers.

"On the first days of the transition economy under the control of the Ministry of Transport the bus drivers were banned to carry passengers, who stand on their feet, and the drivers were dressed in uniforms. But this did not delight us long," recalls a passenger of the Baku route, N.B.

Interestingly, on the background of fabulous incomes, LLC Baki Sernishin Negliyyati worked with a loss in the amount of 7.7 million in 2001 and 2.6 million manat in 2012.

In 2006, the Director of Turan Information Agency Mehman Aliyev, during the liquidation of the Department of Transport of Baku Executive Power sent a letter to the Minister of Transport Ziya Mammadov, who initiated the establishment of a joint stock company Public Transport Company, whose shareholders could be just common citizens. On the one hand it would attract investment, and on the other - provide public scrutiny and participation in governance by those who use public transport. In the Ministry of Transport they promised to respond, but did not keep their word. A month later, a letter was sent to the President of the Republic, but no reply. As a result, passengers have what they have today. -0 -