Miory Regional Executive Committee
A unified national operator of intelligent transport systems may be established in Belarus. The question of its feasibility has been placed on the agenda for a meeting convened by President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus with the leadership of the Council of Ministers, reports a BELTA correspondent.
Speaking on the improvement of transport infrastructure, the President noted that more than a year ago, an investor approached him with a proposal to create a unified national operator. It was suggested to consolidate under its umbrella all existing intelligent transport systems in the country (toll roads, parking system, weight-and-dimension control, and photo enforcement system).
"The Government has been instructed to thoroughly examine this issue. Naturally, exclusively in the state's interests. At the very least, to achieve improvements over the current situation, reflected in financial terms. Because, if we are to proceed with the digital transformation of transport infrastructure, it must be implemented using the most advanced and convenient methods for citizens," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.
He pointed to the parking situation as an example: "For instance, it is well known that we face complete chaos in terms of parking, particularly in the capital. In our most populous city, Minsk, there are numerous individuals who wish to park their vehicles wherever they choose. Even with paid parking zones established throughout the city center, there are citizens who will leave their cars there without paying, indicating a lack of payment discipline. Nor are there any proposals to establish such discipline."
According to the Head of State, a similar situation exists regarding compliance with weight restrictions on the roads. Controllers identify tens of thousands of violations annually. "After all, this concerns the preservation of our road network, which is simply destroyed by heavy freight transport," the President noted.
"Therefore, the key question is this: will the single national operator truly enhance road and public safety, as well as improve financial and technological discipline? If so, what volume of investments will be required to implement the project? What are the expected payback periods? Have future budget revenues been properly calculated?" Alexander Lukashenko outlined several questions. "So far, I observe that there is no clear and definitive answer to the questions posed. Therefore, I request a report on what benefits the proposed consolidation of systems will bring to the country? How reliable are the economic effects projected by the investor? Or is the primary growth driver in his business plan simply a tariff increase?"
The Head of State also asked how the savings on budget funds, as stated by the investor, could be achieved.