Last week Azerbaijani Transport Ministry prohibited minibuses to enter Baku central streets. The decision was made by the Parliament of Azerbaijan already in 2007. However, this process commenced to be more actively realized from 23 September. Traffic of minibuses via the central streets of Baku will be completely eliminated by the end of the year.
Now, minibuses can run in the outskirts of the city. The process will go on gradually. Minibuses cannot enter the area nearby the Elmlar Akademiyasi metro, the Huseyn Javid Avenue right up to the Ichari Shahar metro, as well as via the Azneft Circle and the Neftchilar Avenue. But the minibuses may use secondary routes and ways. There is no restriction for medium and large bus traffic.
The key principle of the categorical step is that the large number of the small-capacity buses loads the roads in the center of the city, creating traffic jams. Therefore, a decision was made to provide large-capacity buses to Baku.
Minibus owners engaged in transportation of passengers were warned in 2006. They were told to buy larger buses to transport passengers. Now, minibuses can move in the outskirts of the city. The process will go on gradually. All minibuses cannot be removed from the city at once.
As a result the situation, considerable difficulties appeared for the inhabitants and guests of the capital. The passenger flow increased at the stations of the metro, and the number of passengers in the metro grew by 2%. Many Baku inhabitants are late to the work because there is no alternative to small buses yet.
Today 5,000 passenger buses serve in Baku, of which majority are small (15 local). At present the passenger transports are engaged in the searches for the alternatives and buses of medium and large capacity.
In January 122 buses totaling $4.5mln were brought to the Republic, an increase of 408.3% from the same period of the last year. At the beginning of September of the current year 60 new passenger buses MAN ( Germany) and MAZ ( Belarus) were brought to Baku, which already work along the routes of city. These buses meet all last technical standards, their length is 11.8m with 38 seats, but making it possible to transport 98 passengers.