TRAVEL PASS

Despite the steady growth in the number of private vehicles on the streets of Baku, the number of public transport users, according to statistics, is also increasing every year. For example, in 2012 the transport sector of the country transported 1.6 billion people, which is 8.4 per cent more than in 2011. Most of the passengers were transported by road (87.6 per cent) and underground (12.1 per cent), while the increase over the previous year was 8.7 and 7.1 per cent respectively.

However, if on the one hand, these figures demonstrate a trend towards the development of this segment of the transport sector in the country, on the other, the larger the amount of traffic, the more acute the need to improve the quality of passenger transportation. And it's not just the recent increase in accidents involving buses, but also inconveniences related to the lack of a clear arrival-departure scheme for buses, unethical behaviour of drivers, etc. In addition, with the growing volume of passenger traffic and the increase in demand for public transport among the population due to the process of urbanization, one of the hot topics in this area now is transition to a single fare card system.

The last issue, by the way, is already about to be solved.

One for all

It must be said that the conditions and the situation in the field of public transport did not make it possible to introduce a common payment system previously. The first reason for this was the use of small-sized buses on the streets of Baku. As is known, the introduction of electronic payment systems on transport requires the installation of turnstiles and special equipment, as well as an electronic database, and that was technically impossible on minibuses that were still popular 4-5 years ago. But the capital's bus fleet was successfully upgraded by replacing the minibuses with large-sized buses, and even work was done to optimize and reduce routes duplicating each other, but the idea of a single transport fare card has still not materialized.

Conditions and opportunities for the use of a single payment system on public transport were created in Azerbaijan with the introduction of a smart traffic management system. To manage this system, a control centre was built, from which you can track the movement of buses on all routes, determine the situation on the roads of the capital and provide citizens with information about the general situation on the streets of Baku.

Work on the introduction of a smart traffic management system is planned to be carried out in three stages. The first one, which has already been implemented, covers Baku, the second one - the whole of Abseron Peninsula, and the third stage - the main roads of the country. Accordingly, if the upgrading of the bus fleet makes it possible to install the necessary equipment, the introduction of a smart control system creates a technical and electronic base for the implementation of the single payment system on public transport.

And, as they say, we got it at last: Azerbaijani Deputy Transport Minister Musa Panahov assured reporters that the phased application of the fare card system on buses will begin from May of this year, while the full transition is to be completed by the end of 2013.

Most of the work in the application of the card payment system has already been done. For example, in April, work got under way to install the necessary equipment on buses, to secure communication between the payment system and banking centres, distribute payment cards and inform both drivers and passengers.

First of all, the new payment system will cover buses running in the city centre, and then - on the outskirts of Baku and in surrounding villages. What's important is that this system will allow passengers to pay the bus fare not only through special payment cards, but also through bank cards.

Azerbaijan's Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov previously said that unified fare cards will be sold through shops and with the help of special machines. We emphasize that cards will be issued free of charge. It will be possible to load the balance through banks, as well as kiosks and mobile terminals, which will be available in different parts of the city.

The project for the implementation of the unified payment system on public transport takes into account the social component as well. For example, individual discount cards will be released for students and a number of other categories of people.

It should be mentioned that the card payment system for public transport is not new - it has been widely used in the Baku metro for several years. At the same time, the new cards will also be circulated in the capital's underground, which annually increases the amount of passenger traffic.

In addition, the Baku Taxi Company, which operates the one thousand London Taxis currently working in the city, provides residents and guests of the capital with the opportunity to pay the fare by credit cards.

Security strategy

We must say that the use of the card system will make it possible to shift to a system of wages for drivers, which will affect the quality of services provided to passengers. This is extremely important, as passengers face violations of the rules by private carriers and drivers all the time. Apart from anything else, congested traffic is the cause of frequent incidents - for example, after independence the number of vehicles in Azerbaijan barely exceeded 200,000 units, whereas now the figure is 1.15 million.

Last year, the number of fatalities in traffic accidents in Azerbaijan increased by 6 per cent compared with 2011. According to Deputy Minister of Transport Panahov, it is necessary to take all the necessary measures to reduce this indicator. A very serious problem is that the number of car accidents involving passenger buses has increased recently.

According to Panahov, serious measures are taken against bus drivers and carriers who commit such violations. The movement of buses and drivers' compliance with the established rules is monitored from the smart traffic management centre. "These are tough measures, including the suspension of the carrier from the route, and as a result, the number of private carriers in Baku has been reduced by half," Panahov said.

Here it would be appropriate to mention that the Ministry of Transport has already prepared a road safety strategy and submitted it to relevant organizations. One of its main areas is the creation of a safe road infrastructure, provision of road lighting, the installation of traffic signs, etc.

Returning to the positive qualities of the single fare card, we should note that many countries have long introduced it, and the experience of the past years has revealed the effectiveness of the system. In fact, it could be another powerful breakthrough in the promotion of non-cash payments in the country. And, of course, the introduction of this system will facilitate and simplify the process of payment on transport, provide transparency and control over funds, minimize contact between the driver and the passenger. All this, in turn, will have a positive impact on the quality of services to passengers, and put an end to most of their grievances.