Plans on full transfer of fare in the Baku Metro to card system starting from January 1, 2007 are most likely to be delayed. Some organizational issues have remained unsolved, Elmar Sadikhov, Director General of the Processing Centre Azericard , told Trend today.
The matter is that the leadership of the Baku Metro linked the process on transferring to cashless system in the Baku underground with the increase in the metro fare. However, the Government has frozen this decision, pointed out Mr. Sadikhov. If at first we were going to change the metro equipment to tourniquets that could allow passing the passenger by means of cards, now tourniquets that will allow passing the passenger both by means of tokens and cards are being installed.
The Baku Metro has appealed to the Tariff Council with proposals on changing the existing fares in the Baku underground with the aim to build the financial and economic activity of the metro and solve the existing problems. Since, this transport requires many expenses, and taking into account the State's subsidizing it, it was recommended to analyze and hold an investigation on the validity of expenses and factors that have an influence on the cost price of these passenger carriages. The Tariff Council is expected to resume this issue in the next year.
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