A unified route network will be created in Armenia

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.