Anar Rzayev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA), clarified the issue of taxis using bus lanes.
Rzayev stated that the matter is not currently on the agenda: "Maintaining bus intervals is our priority."
He emphasized that if public transport schedules are not maintained, other measures become meaningless. Ensuring passengers board buses comfortably and on time is the main goal.
"If buses also get stuck in traffic, people will not prefer public transport. Especially when taxi prices were as low as 90 qepiks, passenger interest in buses decreased," Rzayev noted.
Citing international experience, he said Paris, Singapore, and New York are isolating bus lanes more strictly, while London is tightening control.
Rzayev also touched on the risk of abuse: "Someone could get a taxi permit in the regions and then use bus lanes in Baku without passengers. The system would see it as a taxi, but no actual transport occurs. We must consider this possibility."
He concluded that before any decision is made, certain changes and additional regulations in the transport system are necessary.
