PARK IN 60 SECONDS

Baku is a fast-growing and rapidly-developing city, and the number of its automobiles is increasing with the size of its population. This is a good thing, without a doubt, but increased automobile use brings a number of problems. One of the most pressing issues that drivers face is parking. When we look at the increase in the number of motorists, year after year the problem becomes more and more severe. According to information from the State Committee for Statistics, in ten years' time the number of automobiles in the country has risen by 240 percent; according to the latest statistics, the number of "steel horses" in Azerbaijan has reached 1.2 million. These numbers are projected to only continue growing: the number of vehicles increases by 50,000-60,000 yearly. On average, if we take the number of cars per capita and per household, then by comparison with the countries of Europe it is not all that much. That, however, does not make regulating urban personal transport any less important. And lately, thanks to government efforts, cases where drivers leave their cars double-parked on the sidewalk have already decreased. According to data from the Center for Rational Transport Management, in 2013 there were 18,500 reported cases of illegally-parked automobiles. In only the first three months of 2014 3, 674 drivers left their vehicles in places where parking is forbidden. These included cases of illegal parking on the city's main roads, which were already congested with traffic: Rasid Behbutov Street, Uzeyir Hacibayov Street, May 28 Street, Azadliq Prospecti, Bulbul Prospecti streets.  

Aboveground Measures

In order to change the atmosphere and create a civil parking infrastructure, city authorities have already started implementing measures in keeping with President Ilham Aliyev's assignment. "Baku has underground parking garages. This also helps solve the problem traffic jams. But we need aboveground parking garages as well. As in other cities, in the next few months parking meters will be installed on the streets of our city, so that citizens will soon be able to conveniently park their cars there. In this area there must be assurances of transparency.

"Baku is a beautiful, modern, developing city. Of course, in no city of the developed world will you see a traffic controller on the streets with traffic batons in their hands, handling parking. That does not suit us and cannot suit us. Moreover, no one knows where they work, and to whom and where the money gathered goes. I understand that because of the current lack of aboveground parking that they help drivers. I understand that. That is why I believe that we must be patient. However, after the installation of adequate, transparent parking meters, we, of course, must supply other work to these citizens with the traffic batons in their hands," stated the head of government at a state conference on the first quarter of the current year. 

Thanks to this decision by the head of the executive branch of the Baku city government, many illegal parking lots in streets, parks, and footpaths, near metro stations and on sidewalks have been eliminated, and the process is ongoing. If an automobile is left in a place not designated for parking, then, in accordance with the Codex on Summary Offences, it will be taken to the impound lot.

City authorities wasted no time in setting about creating special aboveground parking lots equipped with digital parking meters. They already exist on the streets of Xaqani, Tolstoy, Mammadaliyev (the French embassy) and in front of the entrance to the Old Town from the direction of Qosa Qala. How do they work? At the parking meter the driver selects the period in which he wants to park, after which he attaches the receipt to the rear window of his automobile. The workers regulating this process determine whether the period has run out by the receipt. Rates at parking meters are 50 qapiks for 30 minutes, one manat for each hour. Parking meters accept cash, bankcards and cards especially designed for them. The width of the road where the equipment will be installed must meet set requirements. 

There is one more innovation - the installation of special tow-away signs that mark areas where parking is forbidden. The owners of smartphones will be given information about free spaces by SMS. They will also be notified about the expiration and extension of their parking time.

Benefits and Shortcomings

Pedestrians forced to make their way along narrow trenches and spaces left between idle "steel horses" are, naturally, glad that the roads are being emptied. Motorists are also glad: They were tired of traffic jams, for one. They were also tired of having to leave their cars in the hands of traffic directors on the street for 20 qapik, without any guarantee that when they returned they would find their cars undamaged. Now, according to the majority, government regulation (which will also use surveillance cameras) will provide the best safekeeping for their "metal friend." 

Nevertheless, reforms in the city's traffic and parking infrastructure, like all unaccustomed changes, are not always met with great enthusiasm. In this case, many drivers do not share the "delight" of city authorities regarding temporary parking, considering the prices inflated. "While the prices in underground parking garages can be explained by the fact that their construction demanded significant funding, the situation with temporary parking cannot be explained at all. The delivery of parking meters from France in no way justifies paying one manat to park in a temporary parking lot for an hour. It's not profitable at all. It's some kind of vicious circle. On the one hand, there's the battle with illegal parking, and on one street or another they put up a no-parking sign. But, on the other hand, tomorrow they can remove that no-parking sign and put up paid parking. What kind of fight against traffic jams is that?" asks motorist Anar Mammadov. 

Enclosed parking lots are, for now, in the following situation - a real game of hide-and-seek has begun between drivers and the tow-trucks of the traffic police. Consequently drivers are left with a poor choice: either the underground lot or the impound lot. At the same time, for many car-owners the cost of parking at paid lots is very high, especially for those forced to leave their cars for the entire workday. Depending on the parking lot, prices on the whole vary from one manat per hour up to ten manat for a 24-hour period, and with prices in private lots being even higher. All the while it is not clear how the pricing for parking lots is regulated, and if it is even regulated at all. As the Ministry of Transport reports, underground parking garages were built on government money and are rented out to private owners. It is they who set the prices for parking.  So, as it turns out, one must trust the good faith of those who rent the parking lots.

In addition, in view of the increase in demand, owners of underground parking garages have stopped giving out yearly and monthly subscriptions on favourable terms, realizing that а good spot will not stay empty for long, and they will one way or another be sold in a situation where the authorities have decided to make automobile owners tighten their belts.  

It is understandable that not all car-owners are satisfied. Thirty-year old Dmitriy Zaxarov often parks in the city and thinks that the prices are too high. "My friend works in the city center and is willing to pay a subscription. Others drive into the city center in their own cars rarely, and so they pay little, too," says Dmitriy. "Recently I left my car in the city center literally for a few minutes, and it got towed.  So now I'm forced, even if I'm here only for a little while, to pay for parking at one manat an hour. For me that's expensive." For that reason he now tries to drive into the city center less often. 

However, there is also a concession on certain terms - the first fifteen minutes in an underground parking garage are free. This, admittedly, sounds slightly ridiculous for car-owners. One driver gives this commentary on the situation: "It's practically impossible to use the free minutes. Entering the lot itself, parking your car and then leaving the lot take up more than fifteen minutes."

However, judging by comments on social-networking sites, there is also a considerable number of car-owners who find the current prices for parking justified, pointing out the practices of other major world cities. 

Meanwhile, car-owners also complain about the absence of dedicated parking lots outside of the city center. "I work on Babak Prospecti," says 50-year old Ismayil Valiyev. "The road is already full of traffic jams, and find a spot to squeeze your car in is often unrealistic." On the whole, however, parking one's car outside the city center is sometimes easier. The overwhelming majority of newly-built buildings are equipped with underground garages. The prices in them, though not very high, nevertheless are often high for car-owning residents - which is why automobiles are often lined up in the courtyards, which, in addition to taking up playground space, frequently makes getting through them difficult. One need not even speak of the courtyards of old apartment houses - they are also filled with cars that have been parked for free. 

According Hasan Abdullayev, head of the Special Autotransport Board of the Executive Branch of the city of Baku, residents may keep their automobiles in front of their homes: "To do this they need to see their housing office official, get a certificate (with place of residence) and bring it to us, and we will give the appropriate permit," he said. Those who can do so park their automobiles at official parking lots near major sites, but often only a limited number of cars that be accommodated there. 

The introduction of a rational parking system up to European standards is a big step forward for any major city whose roads are overloaded, not only by moving traffic, but also by parked vehicles. And Baku is no exception. However, special care should be taken that use of parking is affordable for the majority of car-owners, especially regarding price categories.