ArmInfo.A unified route network will be created in Armenia. On July 20, the Armenian government approved the technical specification for the republican transport network. "Based on the adopted terms of reference and the specified requirements, a unified network will be created," Minister of Transport, Communications and IT Vahan Martirosyan told journalists.
According to Martirosyan, the project is still damp. Within the framework of the project, the study and development of a route network for each of the regions will be planned. At the same time, as the minister assured, the Ministry of Transport does not forget about the state of roads and repair works on roads will be conducted in parallel with the formation of the transport network. "We can not solve the problem in one day, we will solve problems with bad roads in one area, we will move on to another one," he explained.
At the same time, Martirosyan stated that it is too early to talk about the necessary investments for the implementation of this project, since there are no exact calculations on how much and what type of transport will be needed.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Transport presents the concept of the formation of a unified transport network. "A single network across the region means having one operator that will service all routes, including those that are not profitable today either in terms of road quality or low level of passenger traffic," the minister said. , Will shortly work in one of the regions, said Vahan Martirosyan.
As for the timing of the implementation of the program, the minister said, agreements have been signed with the transport companies servicing the routes. "Only after the completion of the terms prescribed in the contracts, we will be able to talk about the changes," the minister said. At the same time, according to the head of the Ministry of Transport, a tender for the operator will soon be announced, in which everyone can participate. It is possible that in one region, depending on the load, several operators will operate. According to Vahan Martirosyan, in the process of planned reforms, it is also planned to increase the level of control over the sphere. "At this stage, a transport management system is being developed that will allow monitoring through the online monitor the traffic and the timetable for their movement," the minister explained. To date, the minister said, more than 100 communities in Armenia do not have a transport connection both because of the condition of the roads and because of low passenger traffic.
In April 2017, the Ministry of Transport stated that the program for the development of the road network of Armenia for the next 5-7 years has been developed, according to which the annual amount of investments required in the annual section for operation and full maintenance of roads will be 90 billion drams. According to the Ministry of Transport, of the 7400 km of the road network of Armenia, 3600 is under the Ministry's control, the rest - of the regional administrations. About 20% or 1,400 km of the city is in good condition, about 600 km - in poor condition and in need of major repairs. The status of the remaining 5,400 km is estimated as an average and, by providing maintenance, it is still possible to extend the life of the service. In May, the head of the department said that in Armenia it is planned to create a new transport system. Vahan Martirosyan stated that the new system envisages the introduction of one or several operators that will also engage in intercommunity transportation. The operator or operators will carry out transportation on a single electronic ticket. The minister stressed that at some of the republic's bus stations in the experimental order this system is already being used. The basis for the development of the document was the fact that about 250 communities of the republic were generally deprived of transport communications. After the Prime Minister's instructions, the number of communities deprived of transport communications dropped to 90. "In the near future this problem will be solved," Martirosyan assured.