Azerbaijan
TRACECA increases the attractiveness of routes on all sections of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia corridor
https://www.trend.az/ 18.06.2021
Digitalization and harmonization of the TRACECA regulatory framework (abbreviation from the English Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia - the program of international cooperation between the European Union and partner countries on the organization of the transport corridor "Europe - Caucasus - Asia") significantly increase the attractiveness of routes on all sections of the corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia.
This was stated to Trend by the Permanent Representative (National Secretary) Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission (IPC PS) TRACECA Rufat Bayramov.
According to him, work is underway on digitalization in the field of road transport. In addition, projects are being discussed to harmonize the regulatory framework related to the discrepancy in different countries of the indicators of cars in size and weight.
"We are working on an up-to-date project of a single transit permit in electronic format, which will make it possible to cross the borders of a number of countries under a single document. For today every day, the implementation of this project requires the permission of several participating countries, which leads to an increase in time and costs during cargo transportation. In the field of rail transportation, we are discussing the draft implementation of the SMGS consignment note (an international document regulating all cargo operations during transportation by rail), as well as the draft transit document GTrD," Bayramov said.
The National Secretary stressed that this is an international document that is being discussed with the International Road Transport Union, as well as with the Danish company MAERSK, specializing in maritime cargo transportation, and some other organizations.
In addition, Bayramov stressed that TRACECA plans to develop and launch a pilot project of an electronic queue system at border points (customs), noting that such a proposal has already been made to the countries participating in the transport corridor, and the possibilities of its implementation are being discussed.
"We are seeing a large accumulation of cars at the borders, especially in the context of a pandemic. In this regard, drivers have to face great difficulties, standing idle for several days in queues at customs. The presence of such an electronic system will allow cargo carriers to receive information in advance and take a queue for their drivers. This project will also affect the performance of drivers, which is a very important direction in the development of cargo transportation," Bayramov added.
He also touched upon the topic of Azerbaijan's railways. The National Secretary noted that Azerbaijan railways are expanding opportunities for the development of freight and passenger transportation in the country.
"The availability of such infrastructure facilitates travel and gives residents and guests of Azerbaijan the opportunity to visit the Gabala district in winter. In addition, it provides a link between this region and the main economic zones of the country, which creates conditions for the development of external tourism," Bayramov said.
He also said that Azerbaijan has implemented and continues to implement major international projects, such as Baku–Tbilisi-Kars, Lapis Lazuli (Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey corridor), North-South, West—East corridors.
Belarus
align="left"> The first electric bus in the city enters the line in Bresthttps://www.abw.by/ 18.06.2021
The MAZ 303E10 electric bus will start working in Brest tomorrow. According to the chairman of the Brest City Executive Committee Alexander Rogachuk, on June 19, the running-in of the MAZ electric bus begins.
It will follow the route of the trolleybus N1 Central City Hospital - bus station and back.
As reported, Minsk Automobile Plant on May 5 presented the first (pilot-industrial) batch of electric buses model 303E10 - a total of 10 cars. Four of them will get to Minsk, the remaining six are distributed by regions.
Until May 5, 91 electric buses operated on passenger routes in the country's cities (89 - in Minsk, produced by Belkommunmash; 2 - in Mogilev from CRRC, donated to Mogilev for its 750th anniversary by the Chinese province of Hunan). With the new MAZ-303E10, the total number of electric buses in Belarus will exceed a hundred, and at least one will appear in each region. And this is just the beginning.
Kazakhstan
Red road markings began to be applied in Kostanay
https://alau.kz/ 17.06.2021
Department The police, together with the akimat of the region, the Kostanay branch of JSC NC "KazAvtoZhol" and the contractor organization "Kazakhavtodor" LLP, in order to avoid road accidents, work continues to ensure road safety, and in particular the application of experimental road markings.
"Many years of experience in the use of red and yellow road markings in foreign countries has allowed a multiple reduction in the number of accidents on highways. So, in the regional center along Chekhov Street, within the boundaries of Tauelsizdik-Doschanova streets and Uralskaya Street from the Maulenov ring to the railway crossing, an experimental yellow road marking was applied.
Also, work has begun on applying experimental red road markings on the bypasses of the city of Kostanay. Red markings are applied to attract the attention of road users to safety islands in places where accidents most often occur or where the risk of their commission is high," the press service of the DP region reports.
Hopeless off-road: a serious crisis is brewing in the road construction industry
https://forbes.kz/ 21.06.2021
align="left"> Only a few people involved know the true state of affairs in the industry.Why is this - nothing more or less than a blow to the economy of the whole state? Yes, because there is no trade, business, tourism and international relations without roads. But it is becoming more and more difficult to build roads in Kazakhstan every year. The shortage of bitumen, one of the main materials for road construction, is added to the numerous concerns of builders every season. And this deficit is largely artificial due to the increase in prices for its value on the part of traders.
The season of road works in our climatic zone is very short - approximately from May to August. The rest of the time, the weather conditions are too unfavorable for the roadbed to take root well. During this period, the builders have to do a lot of work. The demand for bitumen is sharply increasing, factories do not have time to produce the required volume of product. According to Baglan Baymagambetov, President of the Association of Road Builders of Kazakhstan, today the demand for raw materials is 1,300,000 tons per year. So far, the plants have managed to produce 600-800 thousand tons of bitumen, last year - up to 1,100,000 tons. But now the need for it has increased, as the budget has large funds for the repair of city streets, district and regional roads. Accordingly, the demand for bitumen has also grown. And a significant part of it is also bought up by traders who resell the material to road builders with a decent margin.
"Last year, the initial sale price of bitumen was 80 thousand tenge ($187) per ton, eventually reached 180 thousand tenge ($ 420) per ton, in some places up to 200 thousand ($ 467)/ Of course, the cost includes transportation and overhead costs, as well as traders' margins," says Baglan Baymagambetov.
At the same time, bitumen is a specific product. In winter, it freezes, and its transportation is not cheap. In addition, the raw materials must be heated during loading. And each such procedure affects the quality of the material. In addition, during the cold period, not every contractor can buy and take out enough bitumen. First of all, due to the lack of money and storage where you can keep the product until the onset of the warm season. In May, with the start of repair work, bitumen again needs to be warmed up in order to start production and get asphalt concrete. When laying it, Baglan Baymagambetov explains, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime from 90 to 130 degrees. If asphalt is carried over a long distance, it it will cool down and take root badly on the road. Consequently, it is technologically unprofitable to produce large volumes of raw materials in advance.
In addition, the geography of any contractor today may include Nur-Sultan or Almaty, and tomorrow it will extend to East Kazakhstan Region and Western Kazakhstan. And no one can make bitumen storage facilities at each new location. There are other limitations. For example, the extraction of the same sand in a quarry takes time. And often there are no quarries at all on the project near the construction site.
Financing of the work is also specific: after winning the tender, the contractor receives an advance of only 30% of the order amount. It is clear that this money is negligible in order to purchase materials, conduct construction, and pay wages to workers. And it often happens that by the time contractors receive payment, the necessary raw materials are no longer on the market - traders have bought everything. Or inflation, the pace of which is high, has absorbed part of the budget. At the same time, the builder, failing to complete the agreed amount of work according to the monthly schedule, falls under penalties. Also, at the end of the year, undeveloped funds are returned to the budget, and such a contractor will no longer receive money.
However , the requirements for the quality of the roadway have increased significantly. Road workers explain: today the tracks are designed for 13.5 tons of axial load - this is an international standard. In Soviet times, a load of 6-8 tons was considered a high indicator. However, many carriers, in an effort to reduce costs, often overload their cars. In summer, at temperatures above 30 degrees, this is critical for the condition of the roadway. And it is also necessary to tighten control over carriers by the transport inspectorate. Because the quality of roads largely depends on the conditions of their operation. But there is a lot of criticism against construction companies - because of defects that do not depend on them.
The problem is with personnel - today it is difficult to find an asphalt paver driver or a grader. Road institutes no longer train specialists in the same quantity as before. And since the work is seasonal, it is very difficult to keep the staff until the new project.
From what has been said, it is clear that a systemic crisis is brewing in the industry. Road builders are working at the limit of their capabilities. But they earn very little to cover current expenses, depreciation of equipment and salaries of employees. For a long time in this mode the industry will not last, and, apparently, it cannot do without state regulation. One of the possible solutions to the problem is the sale of bitumen through the exchange. And some progress has already been made, the first auction took place in May. But also with nuances. Firstly, the exchange received only 10% of the required volume of bitumen, and secondly, some of it was bought up by traders again.
"Now the auction has been held. And our road workers, who were able to buy bitumen at 55 thousand tenge ($128) per ton, cannot ship it from the factory. They are not given wagons - they are received by those who bought bitumen at a higher price. We propose to tighten the requirements for traders, they should be limited to at least some limit on the purchase of bitumen and other important materials for us. Or it is necessary to prohibit any intermediary activity in the trade of strategically important products altogether. To enable contractors to directly purchase them from manufacturing plants. To organize a lease sale, because a 30 percent advance from the state is a negligible amount that is not enough for contractors to do their work. People on the road have a truly hellish job. And they should also have good conditions for recreation, and wages. All this falls on the contractors. We need additional plants for the production of bitumen," says Baglan Baymagambetov.
The season of road works is already in full swing. And it is necessary to solve the accumulated problems urgently. Otherwise, it may happen that by the next season, the ranks of road construction companies will significantly thin out. And it is simply unprofitable for new contractors to enter such a market. At the same time, by 2025, as Baglan Baymagambetov said, the state plans to bring the network of republican highways - which is almost 25 thousand km - to perfection. After all, it is a priority sector of the economy.
Kyrgyzstan
The President instructed to work out the issue of the construction of the Balykchi-Barskoon highway
http://kabar.kg/ 15.06.21
Today, on June 15, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, during a conversation with the staff of Kumtor Gold Company CJSC, instructed the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the country, together with Kumtor Gold Company CJSC, to start working on the construction of the Balykchi-Barskoon highway, the press service of the president reports.
The Head of State noted the importance of building a broadband and a high-quality highway that meets all the necessary modern standards and requirements to ensure continuous, safe, comfortable movement of vehicles.
It is assumed that preparatory measures and construction work will begin this year, until the autumn of this year it is planned to asphalt a number of sections of the highway and continue construction work in the spring of 2022.
Sadyr Zhaparov stressed that the existing highway has not been repaired over the years of independence, and also has a low capacity.
The President stressed that the development of reliable and modern transport infrastructure will give a strong impetus to the economic development of the region, including the development of the tourism industry on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul.
Ministry of Transport of the Kyrgyz Republic: Currently, three projects are being implemented, funded by Japan for $ 39 million
http://kabar.kg/ 16.06.21
Currently, three projects funded by the Government of Japan are being implemented in Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the Ministry of Transport of the Kyrgyz Republic reports.
According to her data, The Japanese government is making a huge contribution to improving the country's road infrastructure.
So at the moment there are 3 projects funded by the Government of Japan:
- Grant project "Avalanche protection of the Bishkek-Osh highway 246 km" (4 billion 288 million Japanese yen, equivalent to approximately 39.2 million US dollars);
- Grant project "Reconstruction of the bridge over the Urmaral river on the Talas-Taraz highway" (1 billion 785 million Japanese yen, equivalent to about 16.2 million US dollars);
- The loan project "Improvement of trunk roads of international importance" (the project amount is 13.642 billion Japanese yen, the equivalent of about 133.58 million US dollars, the loan amount is 11.915 billion Japanese yen, the equivalent of about 116.47 million US dollars).
The peculiarity of the projects financed by the Government of Japan is that two projects are funded on a grant basis and one project is financed on a credit basis, on highly favorable terms. The loan is granted for 40 years, a grace period of 10 years, interest rate: 0.1% per annum and, accordingly, the grant element of the loan is more than 45%.
Also, a feature of the projects is that for Japanese experts are necessarily involved in the implementation of Japanese projects. Thus, in accordance with the terms of STEP, at least thirty percent (30%) of the total value of the contract, with the exception of consulting services financed by STEP loans, should be accounted for by goods from Japan, or services provided by a Japanese company or goods only from Japan, depending on the nature of the project. Such a project with STEP conditions is being implemented in Kyrgyzstan for the first time.
The deadlines for the implementation of the projects are provided until 2023-2024.
In view of the pandemic, in 2020 and early 2021, there were difficulties in implementing projects since quarantine was introduced in Japan and the departure of Japanese experts was impossible. Accordingly, this was reflected in the schedules of project implementation. To date, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic is making every effort to catch up on the deadlines for the implementation of projects.
Of the three projects, construction work is currently underway on the project "Avalanche protection of the Bishkek-Osh highway 246 km". On October 12, 2018, a contract was signed with the Japanese contractor JV "DAI Nippon-Iwata Chizaki JV" and work began in 2019. The work was completed by 25%. This year, the contractor resumed work in May.
The projects "Reconstruction of the bridge over the Urmaral river on the Talas-Taraz highway" and "Improvement of trunk roads of international importance" are at the initial stage of implementation.
The effect of road construction can be divided into 2 groups:
1. The direct (transport) effect reflects the direct benefits for people using highways resulting from improved road conditions. This effect consists in saving the cost of operating vehicles, reducing the time spent on the road, increasing the efficiency of using vehicles, reducing the risk of road accidents, increasing the comfort of movement and amenities en route.
2. The indirect (non-transport) effect reflects the impact of the improvement and development of the national and regional highway network on the socio-economic development of the country and the environmental situation.
In 2020, the Project "The third phase of the Program for Improving Regional Communication Routes in Central Asia (PURPS CA–3)", funded by the World Bank. The aim of the project is to improve regional transport links and support the sustainable development of tourism in the Issyk-Kul region.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, there were difficulties in the implementation of the project and there were certain delays.
At the moment, the project is at the initial stage of implementation and the process of developing technical specifications for the directions and reviewing/finalizing a detailed project for the Tyup-Kegen highway and preparing tender documents for the selection of a contractor is underway.
For reference: Donor: International Development Association (IDA)
Project amount: 55.0 million US dollars (27.5 million US dollars - loan and 27.5 million US dollars grant)
Date of signing: July 3, 2019;
Effective date: January 30, 2020;
Project closing date: November 30, 2024.
The Motor Transport Agency is working on automating the process of carrying out weight and dimensional control
http://kabar.kg/ 18.06.21
In order to exclude influence The Agency of Motor Transport is working on the implementation of a mechanism for the full automation of the process of carrying out weight and size control on public roads in the likeness of the project "Safe City", the press service of the Ministry of Transport of the Kyrgyz Republic reports.
In the field of issuing permits for the carriage of passengers and cargo by road and water transport, the Motor Transport Agency, as part of the digitalization of public services in the field of transport, is working to introduce the licensing process of transport services in electronic format based on the existing AIS "Electronic Transport Control". The plans also provide for the introduction of applications for a license through the unified state portal of electronic services.
The introduction of applications for permits for international road transport and obtaining a special permit for the transportation of bulky and heavy cargo is being worked out.
To implement the automation of the issuance of permits The documents need to be finalized by the functioning AIS "ETC" for accepting applications for issuing licenses, permit forms and special permits in electronic format. Currently, work is underway to finalize the AIS "ETC".
The ongoing work contributes to the creation of favorable conditions for domestic carriers in the implementation of road transport. In the field of ensuring compliance by domestic and foreign carriers with the requirements of the transport legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic, the automation of the transport control process is carried out at all PTCs, an automated information system "Electronic Transport Control" (AIS "ETC") is installed and operates, which makes it possible to exchange information on the results of transport control with the transport control authorities of the EAEU member states.
In order to exclude the influence of the human factor on the results of weight and size control, the Motor Transport Agency is working to introduce a mechanism for fully automating the process of carrying out weight and size control on public roads in the likeness of the project "Safe City". In this regard, work is underway to prepare the necessary project documents.
Since June 1, 2021, a pilot project has been launched to automate weight and size control at the Kemin PTK with automatic fines for exceeding the established permissible weight and size parameters of vehicles for driving on public roads. The launch of the pilot project is also expected at the Sosnovka PTK.
To date, work is underway to fully automate the process of weight and dimensional control on the basis of the existing dynamic weight and dimensional control system, which are installed on 8 PTK.
This measure is aimed at eliminating the human factor and corruption manifestations in the implementation of weight and size control.
Tajikistan
China will provide Tajikistan with over $203 million for the construction of a road in the east of the country
https://www.trend.az/ 16.06.2021
China will provide Tajikistan with US$ 203.9 million for the construction and reconstruction of the Kalai Khumb-Vanj-do section of the Rushan district Dushanbe-Khorog-Kulma highways, Trend reports with reference to Avesta.
According to the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan Azim Ibrohim, said in the lower house of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, these funds are provided on a grant basis.
At the session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, held on June 16 in Dushanbe, it was noted that Tajikistan will exempt from taxes and customs duties the import of equipment for the construction of this section of the road.
The Dushanbe-Khorog-Kulma highway is a strategically important international highway of Tajikistan, but many of its sections are impassable.
During the period of independence, all highways from Dushanbe to the regions were reconstructed, with the exception of the main road of Badakhshan - from Kalai-Khumba to Khorog and further to the border with China.
From an economic point of view, this highway is very important due to the fact that it imports basic goods from China to Tajikistan.
Earlier it was reported that the reconstruction of this 92-kilometer section of the road from Kalai Khumba to Rushan district will require $ 230 million. Within the framework of the project , it is planned to build two road transport tunnel.
Japanese company to build four-lane highway in Tajikistan
https://regnum.ru/news/ 17.06.2021
The Minister of Transport of Tajikistan Azim Ibrohim proposed the Japanese company Dai Nippon Construction to build the Kizilkala - Bokhtar highway with the involvement of local builders, the press service of the ministry reported.
The head of the Department held talks with representatives of Dai Nippon Construction and CTI Engineering Co. The second organization acts as a consultant.
Ibrohim noted that in the conditions of a pandemic, instead of importing machinery and equipment from Japan to Tajikistan, local enterprises can be attracted. The company replied that they would respond to the ministry after analyzing the proposal.
It should be noted that within the framework of the project for the construction of the Kizilkala - Bokhtar highway, it is planned to build a four-lane road with a length of 9.5 km. As part of the project, the Japanese government will provide $90 million in gratuitous assistance.
Uzbekistan
The next stage of the project on the development of the transport master plan of the Samarkand agglomerations
https://www.advis.ru/ 16.06.2021
Last week, the SIMETRA team worked again in Samarkand due to the need to discuss a preliminary set of measures for the development of transport infrastructure and public transport system.
The SIMETRA team represented by Christian Bettger, Vladimir Valdin, Sergey Blakitny and Andrey Kushin met with representatives of key organizations responsible for the development of the transport system of the Samarkand agglomeration, namely the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, SUE "ToshkentboshplanLITI" (developer of the master plan of Samarkand), the khokimiyat, the Department of Transport of the Samarkand agglomeration, as well as designers and road builders.
The transport master plan of the Samarkand agglomeration is being developed in coordination with the general plan of Samarkand. The participants of the meeting discussed the directions of the project and adjusted plans for the future. Due to the fact that Samarkand is constantly growing, special attention was paid to the issues of traffic management and ensuring connectivity in the newly covered territories.
align="left"> On June 9, a meeting was held, which was attended by the khokim of Samarkand Boburmirzo Cloudulov, head of the regional transport department Inoyatillo Khamraev, head of the Center for the Study of Transport and Logistics Development of the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan Murod Abidov and SIMETRA specialists. The participants discussed the current state of the agglomeration transport system, the load on the transport infrastructure, existing problem areas and proposals for their solution. Positive feedback was received on a number of significant proposals aimed at improving the transport system and its components.With the help of a mathematical transport macro model created as part of the project to develop a transport master plan of the Samarkand agglomeration, it is possible to carry out all the necessary calculations for planning the road network and the route network of public transport. As a result, there will be a clear, targeted action plan for the development of the system of streets and roads, the public transport network and infrastructure changes.
On June 11, already in Tashkent, another discussion on the project took place - a conference call on transport planning and modeling with the participation of representatives of transport departments of all regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize the heads of regions and specialized transport organizations with the role of transport planning and the importance of using transport modeling to obtain high-quality planning results. As an example, the first results of modeling the Samarkand agglomeration were demonstrated directly in the specialized software PTV Visum.