Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 24 / Trend I. Khalilova /
A consultant is being involved in Azerbaijan to investigate the opportunity of introducing toll roads in Azerbaijan within the Asian Development Bank's program (ADB) to develop the road network in the country, ADB office in Baku told Trend on Friday.
"The tender process is in the final stages," the office said. "Perhaps, a consultant will be determined in September. We attach great importance to this issue, because the consultant will study the existing legislation, prepare recommendations. Therefore, a candidate is being chosen very carefully."
A contest was announced in September 2011 to attract consulting services. It was planned to be closed till October 26. In this case, it was planned to begin working no later than January 2012 and to complete by June 2012.
Legislation must be studied to determine opportunities for introducing toll roads in Baku and beyond.
The research was laid within the first tranche worth $ 200 million allocated from the multitranche package for road projects by ADB for the reconstruction of Masalli-Astara highway in late 2007.
According to "Azeryolservis" company under the Azerbaijani Transport Ministry, a consultant must examine the roads, traffic, road surface and determine needs to improve the roads for the next 10-year period.
A consultant must assess the road network, depending on the traffic, its economic importance in the region.
A consultant must determine roads that are important from an economic point of view, and prepare a schedule of registration in a numerical order. A consultant must pay special attention to the calculation of income to be derived from toll roads, and for the projects, based on the cooperation of the public-private sector. The roads with a high rate of return must be taken into account.
According to the terms of the tender announced by "Azeryolservis", firms can act in the form of association to increase the qualifying indices.