Batumi Transportation System Coming Closer to the EU Standards
Skepticism seized some individual representatives of government and society, as they deem it is impossible to develop sustainable transport modes in nowadays Georgia.
Neither do the supporters of this conception look at transport policy formation optimistically – such as public transport, bicycle paths nor does development of other types of alternative means of transport system that encourage walking in the cities.
The supporters of this position are for to keep the old policy until country’s social-economic situation will not reach to a European standard.
Batumi as a vivid proof and example of development safe and sustainable mobility that is available for all road users within the frame of existing a clear strategy and policy in transport field; Moreover, it is also possible to attract technical support and financial resources from the European Institutions.
To enhance cooperation in the field of transport is considered in Chapter VI of the Association Agreement of Georgia with the European Union. In this direction, Georgian government firstly should harmonize our laws with European ones. It is emphasized in Article N 293 of Association Agreement that Georgia should provide (support) clean, effective and safe development of transport system, to integrate transport field with other ones, to create intermodal transport policy, to upgrade transport fleet, identification and implementation projects that encourage non-motorized transport too.
For several years Batumi has a transport action plan that includes the specific action plan to settle existing transport challenges in the city. Marine City is a major transportation hub, where marine, railway and vehicle communication gather together. The population is 175 000, during tourist season about 4 000.
The number of vehicles in a town is about 35 000, though during tourist season this number doubles. Batumi budget is 140 ml and 35 ml (million) out of 140 ml. (million) is spent annually for infrastructural and municipal transport development. 6 ml out of this sum is spent for the development of municipal transport system.
Batumi carries out large maritime transport operations and shipping /transportations/ and it is mostly overloaded within tourist season, though a local transport is able to deal with challenges of this period. In 2014 just a few transport accidents occurred. Transport accessibility for disable ones is high.
Batumi Transport service has a short and long-term action plan with specific targets. Local authorities will provide material-technical resources to manage transport system. Transport means and infrastructure system development is performed coordinately. A town has implemented a very flexible system of car-parking; civil society is involved in the decision-making process locally.
The ISTBAR project “Green Cities: integrated sustainable transport for Batumi and Adjara” is implemented by UNDP and financed by GEF. The aim of the project is to support development of sustainable and integrated municipal transport system in Autonomous republic of Adjara and Batumi city municipality, which in itself will favor the establishing of sustainable transport policy and formation of green urban development policy and specific mechanisms. It is important to highlight the activities of these two institutions –Batumi Transport Infrastructure Agency and “Batumi Auto-transport” LLC.
Transport infrastructure Agency is a State run Company, the main directions of theirs are: to provide organizational-technical measures related to traffic regulation, to place traffic (road marks) signs and traffic lights on the local roads of municipal territory, Maintenance /operating/, speed slow barrier arrangement and performing road marking and repairing works, bike lanes /cycling path/ as well. Agency is as well involved in formation of united policy of traffic safety as implementation and development of parking rules.
Agency installed parking meters a few years ago-that is a swift parking fee pay-box. The population can access information about breaking the parking rules through online.There is a differentiated system of parking in Batumi that considers different kind tax rates imposition for tax-drivers, tourists that is an additional income source for a town budget. Through parking system more than a half million GEL enter in town budget annually that is still used for the renovation of the park's infrastructure and transport.
Unlike from other towns of Georgia-like Kutaisi, Gori, Telavi and Tbilisi city-parking problem is relatively solved in Batumi and you can seldom see cars that block the traffic on the sidewalks. Hence it is possible to copy Batumi parking model in other big or small cities.
Company has installed Belgian traffic lights on the crossroads of the town; they are controlled through video-camera. The traffic lights automatically give way to the flow of vehicles, with more loads. All the traffic lights are equipped with buttons and acoustic system for the pedestrians that facilitate the sight-impaired citizens to cross the street.
The central hub is placed in the agency office that is connected with optic cable to all the traffic-lights that enable to make a surveillance of traffic-lights remotely. The company is able to diagnose and handle the traffic lights on the bases of the relevant program systems from central hub.
The recent news of “Batumi auto-transport” LLC is to create municipal transport electronic ticket system and new category cards of Batumvelo. A development plan of 2011-2020 has been worked out in Batumi Bus Company. The company has finished working on the short-term targets: finishing buses network route, enactment efficient payment system, strengthen the registering, accounting standards and resources. The main goal of interim period is to realize city network and increasing efficiency, improving the conveying system of passengers, implementation of terminal system and meeting the requirement of passengers. The long-term plan includes renovation of buses’ park which will have modernized network and infrastructure system. Fare payment is made E-ticket system.
International donors have put investments to renovate City Bus Park fleet. Due to introduce the ticket system, restructuring of bus operators’ have been carried out and conditions of drivers have been significantly improved. During many years drivers have been working for one-shift system 14-15 hours per day. Drivers used to be over-fatigue that badly influenced over their service quality. Now a new, modern double-shift working day program has been introduced for bus-drivers. A driver is not over-tired and the interval between moving buses is kept during a whole day and a driver does not get tired.
A company provides comfort service for passengers, buses are clean. Citizens use optimized buses’ route network and electronic ticket system that reduces the time to move from one place to another.
In order to increase the attraction of the tourists bus stops are announced via voice signal in Batumi bases, including the sight-seeing places (in Georgian and English languages) the virtual boards have been made –the bus arrival time is known to citizens via SMS.
The public transport is not the only means of transport. A bicycle has been introduced in Batumi as a means of transport as in Western cities of Europe. Batumvelo is getting more and more popular among local inhabitants.
Batumi – Georgia’s the third largest city and unlike other cities of Georgia, Batumi strongly emphasizes the development of the public transport and service that cannot be seen in other cities of Georgian regions. For instance – in Kutaisi, Telavi, Gori public transport particularly bus system, does not function or is entirely in a private ownership. Due to the fact that low service fare the owners find it difficult to attract the funds to develop the bus-park.
There is not public transport system in these towns and relevant infrastructure as well. Through the assistance of Europe development and reconstruction Bank –Batumi is the first city where a hybrid public transport introduction is about to launch. This proves once more that if other Georgian towns perfect /refine/ legislation and carry out institutional reforms, they might get additional funds from European financial institutions.
Part of politicians deem that policy related to transport field such as-taxi, parking system -should not be overviewed as many people will be left unemployed through reforms and consequently many Georgian families lose income. The above-mentioned opinion is wrong –as the example of Batumi shows us, where comparing with other Georgian towns –the transportation and mobility issues development are ongoing on the right way. Just a simple statistic - citizen service quality, lacking of parking problem comparing with other towns and most importantly walking and bicycle promotion as a means of transport proves it definitely.
By Gela Kvashilava
Photo: Aleksey Muhranoff