Will Capital Be Saved from Traffic Jams by Ban for Entry of Nonresident Cars?

The ban on entry of cars with nonresident registration into Baku comes into force on 15 September. The Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov said this to the media. According to him, at the same time two parking lots will be commissioned for cars - on the northern and southern entrances to the city, where the owners will be able to leave their cars.

Similar restrictions have already been introduced in Baku during the European Games, and now this limitation becomes permanent.

Commenting on the legal opinions that such a ban is a violation of the rights of citizens, Sharifov said that the limitation is dictated by security issues, in particular, a large number of casualties in traffic accidents in Azerbaijan, which is several times higher than in European countries.

The second reason is traffic jams, which cannot be coped with. Therefore, trucks and vehicles from the provinces will be able to enter Baku at night. At the same time, the traffic police are instructed to allow district vehicles carrying patients, Sharifov said.

People who have arrived in Baku during the day can leave the car in the parking area and reach the city by bus or taxi, said Deputy Prime Minister.

There is no official statistics on the number of nonresident cars entering Baku. According to various reports, more than 100,000 vehicles enter Baku daily, of which 40% are nonresident cars.

There is no doubt that the ban will create serious problems for the citizens coming from the regions. The status of urban transport and its infrastructure does not allow us to say that people will be able to normally get into the city. -02D-