“Koroghlu” Transport Exchange Centre of the Baku Transport Agency is inaugurated

Inauguration of the “Koroghlu” Transport Exchange Centre of the Baku Transport Agency took place, September 25.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the inauguration ceremony.

Giant projects have been implemented recent years in Azerbaijan, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, aimed at ensuring the social and economic advancement. All these are intended to improve social welfare of the citizens, and ensure peoples’ comfort and security. Works carried out in the country at the moment in connection with providing quality transportation services have the same purpose.

Based on President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions and commissions, a number of projects have been implemented recent years towards modernizing the transport park, organizing safe and comfortable use by passengers of regular route busses. One of these projects is creation of Transport Exchange centres – HUBs, a novelty in the public transportation system. The main goal of this concept include comfortable transportation of passengers, achieving mobility of the city transport network, and alleviating the traffic load in the central part of Baku. This project is of significant importance also in terms of ensuring the safety of passenger transportation, along with the comfort of citizens.

Chairperson of the Baku Transport Agency’s Board of Directors Vusal Kerimli informed the President and the First Lady of the conditions created at “Koroghlu” Transport Exchange Centre.

It was mentioned that, located at the crossroads of the Heydar Aliyev and Ziya Buniyatov avenues and in the neighbourhood of “Koroghlu” Underground Station, the Transport Exchange Centre was organized as a HUB in 2016. As a pilot project, the centre was first created using light structures. But, taking into consideration the appeals received from the population later, the “Koroghlu” HUB was basically reconstructed in 2019, and a modern transport infrastructure was created here.

According to the instruction given by the President, 5 big HUBs were created in the main areas of entry to and exit from Baku city, while creation of small 6 HUB in towns and settlements is planned. High level conditions will be created in all these centres, similar to those in here.

President Ilham ALIYEV: Of course, we have been showing much attention to this sphere, thinking that comfort of our citizens is uppermost. Therefore, we purchase new busses, taking very strict measures in connection with transportation and safety. Carry on doing these works. The highest level of transportation service should be ensured in all parts of the city.

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It was informed that new bicycle lanes were built along the roads in the capital, and conditions were created for people with impaired vision. As a pilot project, building a cycle path is planned behind the Government House. 100 metre-section of the path is ready, Now experiments are carried out on the cover of the cycle path. Mainly, local materials are used to build this path. In general, building of a 18.5 km long bicycle lane is planned in Baku city, with the 7.5 km section to be built in the first stage of the project.

It was brought to attention that some 600 points have been determined for the first phase in connection with parking in the city. Now, infrastructure works are underway in this direction.

Then the President and the First Lady took interest in the conditions created on the platforms and waiting halls.

According to the information given, a bus terminal with four platforms has been constructed here. The platforms feature 10 waiting rooms provided with state-of-the-art information technology, and an air conditioning system. The waiting rooms have been designed on the basis of written and graphical information reflecting Azerbaijan’s achievements in science, literary, culture, history and sports, and its rich treasures. Book shelves have been installed in each room, coupled with enlightening information. Along with waiting rooms, 5 booths, 1 control room, a physician’s room, and a room for mothers with children were constructed in the centre. The rooms have been provided with drinking water.

Some 270 thousand people are going to use, in the course of a day, the services of the centre, where about 430 busses will operate on a regular route linking the city centre with surrounding villages and settlements. In general, 2.2 million passengers are transported in Baku city in the course of a day. Here have been determined a parking point for busses on each route, and information boards installed.

With a view to renovating the bus park of the city, 300 new busses were ordered, following President Ilham Aliyev’s relevant Resolution. 168 of these busses were already handed over to BTA. The number of the busses will reach 200 by the end of October. It is expected that all the busses will be delivered by the end of the year.

President Ilham Aliyev highly appreciated the conditions created here.

One of the specific features of the centre is the resting park laid out on the territory. The most advanced illumination system installed in the park makes the nights of this place especially beautiful.

President Ilham ALIYEV: We created this park a few years earlier, following my initiative. Now, it is a beautiful recreation zone, and the centre adjoins the park. It is nice here. We have turned a big area into a public place. There were thoughts about constructing buildings here. I did not give permission, and said we have to create a recreation zone for citizens. And now, we have a beautiful park and a transportation centre in a big area in the city centre.

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Then, the President and the First Lady viewed busses made by MBC Company of Turkey.

It was informed that, meeting the requirements of passengers, these busses are notable for their quality. The most superior feature of the busses are that they have an engine working on condensed gas. While the busses previously ordered for BakuBus Ltd could go as far as 300 kilometres, with these busses, working on condensed gas, this distance is increased up to 600 kilometres. The salon and engine system in these busses were completely altered. With 26 seats, the busses have a total capacity of a hundred passengers.

President Ilham Aliyev gave instructions on purchasing additional busses.

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The “Koroghlu” Transport Exchange Centre will positively impact both the organization of traffic, and also transportation of passengers. This centre is a transportation infrastructure linking such public transport types as intra-city and intercity busses, underground and railway transport, and facilitating transportation between them. The concept of HUB has been playing a significant part in the centralized organization of the movements of busses coming from suburban territories to the city centre, as well as strengthening of efficient management and control mechanism in the passenger transportation activities.

Following the resolutions and instructions of the President, state-of-the-art roads have been built recent years in settlements and villages of Baku, taking concrete steps towards solving the social issues related to those living in these areas. The creation of this centre too is one of the steps made in this direction. This infrastructure facility, by ensuring easy and safe transportation of those residing in suburban territories to the city centre and back, will be contributing to the modernization of the passenger transportation service in the capital.