Urban and suburban transportation in the Vitebsk region is unprofitable

The average payback of public transport services in the Vitebsk region today is no more than 65-70%, which makes urban, and especially suburban, transport unprofitable. In conditions of "freezing" ticket prices, transport operators are forced to optimize the route network, increase service intervals, and seek additional income. How much should a ticket cost now and what are the prospects for the development of public transport were discussed by the head of the transport and communications department of the regional executive committee, Andrey Gulidin.

– From the perspective of transport services, the Vitebsk region is a rather specific region, – Andrey Viktorovich began the conversation. – The fact is that the area of the region is very large – over 40 thousand sq. m with the lowest population density compared to other regions. This means we travel more, but carry fewer passengers. Also, the Vitebsk region has more settlements than other regions of Belarus – 6250. Many of them are inhabited by a few people, but transport links are still established there. If we add to this the significantly lower ticket prices compared to public transport in Minsk, then it is certainly not possible to talk about the profitability of passenger transport in the Vitebsk region. This is our main problem.

– How difficult is the situation? After all, considering the social significance, passenger transport services have always been subsidized from the budget by state carriers.

– Public transport is indeed a traditionally subsidized sector. However, we are currently facing a situation where, firstly, despite price increases, the fare has been effectively "frozen," and secondly, state carriers did not receive over 5 billion rubles in state subsidies in the first half of the year. For your information, the costs for "Vitebskoblavtrans" per kilometer traveled within the city are currently almost 16 thousand rubles (of which 11,300 are covered), in suburban routes – almost 8,700 (4,900 covered), and intercity – 6,100 (4,900 covered). Thus, the average profitability across all types of transportation is currently -11%. All state carriers are operating at a loss, and many have huge debts, especially for fuel and lubricants.

A major problem is the condition of the rolling stock, which is over 70% worn out, and a third of it cannot be released on the line according to technical regulations. For reliable operation of passenger transport, an annual renewal of at least 10% of the vehicle fleet is necessary. In 2005-2010, this was achieved through a transport tax, but since 2011, the State Program for the Development of Road Transport has not specified minimum requirements for the annual renewal of buses, and the sources of funding for this have become the local budget and the carriers' own funds. However, these funds, given the difficult financial situation, are clearly insufficient. For the renewal of the bus fleet in 2015, about 7.5 billion rubles were allocated from the regional budget, which will allow for the purchase of 10 new suburban buses. But the actual need is at least 70, and next year – 80 buses.

– And what solution to the current situation do transport workers see?

– Economists have calculated that to stabilize the financial condition of motor transport enterprises, the cost of one trip within the city should be at least 5 thousand rubles, as it is in Minsk now. This would allow state carriers to operate at least at zero profitability.

Another solution is the optimization of the route network, which is currently underway in the Vitebsk region. For example, in June, the intensity of urban transport traffic in Vitebsk decreased by 13.2%, and in Liozno – by almost 25%. For suburban routes of the Vitebsk district, it decreased by 7.4%, and for the Gorodok district – by 6.9%. All this allowed for savings of over 400 million rubles in just one month, while maintaining the number of passengers transported.

It should be noted that the reduction of the route network is carried out very carefully, after thorough examination of passenger flows, adjustment of schedules, and selection of rolling stock optimal in capacity. Special attention is paid to the transport communication of newly built microdistricts in cities where many people live. As for suburban communication, the potential for optimization in this direction is very large. The fact is that the minimum state social standards in this area are overfulfilled by 3-5 times, and for certain indicators, such as the coverage of settlements with a population of 20 to 50 people, by bus communication – more than 8 times. Today, this is an unaffordable luxury.

– How justified is the work of conductors nowadays?

– Thanks to them, the region has the highest fare collection rate in the republic – about 80%. For comparison, in Minsk, despite their technical innovations in fare payment, it is no more than 40-50%.

In general, it is regrettable that the transport of the capital is developing as if outside the transport network of the entire country. Electronic validators have been installed in Minsk, which is, of course, convenient, but the ultimate goal of all this is a unified electronic fare payment system for all regions. So that the passenger has a single travel pass, and the fare, as in most countries, depends on the distance, not the fact of boarding. But everything comes down to finances. Today, equipping one bus with such an electronic system costs at least 5 thousand euros.

– Can private carriers alleviate the passenger transportation situation?

– Currently, 458 "private" buses are operating in the region, 201 of them in Vitebsk, and 142 in Orsha. However, statistics show that "Vitebskoblavtotrans" still serves about 90% of all routes. The reason is that private carriers operate the most profitable routes, while state-owned buses still travel to remote villages for a single passenger. Of course, this is an unacceptable situation where private carriers get the best routes while ignoring socially significant ones. Therefore, for example, in Orsha, city authorities practice an approach where private carriers who win a tender for a profitable city route are also assigned the social obligation of transporting passengers to several rural settlements.

However, I wouldn't say this is an ideal solution. Private carriers often treat their work with less responsibility: if something is unprofitable for them, they simply withdraw from the route, citing technical malfunctions. Therefore, the issue of introducing penalty points for systematic violations of schedules by private carriers is currently being worked on. This is important when conducting tenders for route organization.

– What do you propose to improve public transport operations?

– At this stage, for example, to alleviate the load on Vitebsk's public transport during morning and evening peak hours, the city executive committee could shift the start and end times of work in organizations and enterprises by half an hour. This requires no additional costs but will increase passenger comfort. Also, the issue of allocating a separate traffic lane for urban public transport in the regional center is currently being discussed with the traffic police.

– There is an opinion that in order for large cities not to suffocate in traffic jams over time, it is necessary not to build new ring roads, but to develop comfortable public transport with air conditioning and internet, as well as to improve bicycle paths and pedestrian streets. What is your opinion on this idea?

– Positively. This is understood in all Western European countries, where entry into the city center by car is prohibited or very expensive. In Belarus, however, the mass motorization of the population is truly frightening in its prospects: passenger traffic is declining for carriers, cities are stuck in traffic jams, and urban ecology leaves much to be desired.

Today, equipping public transport with air conditioners and free Wi-Fi is not a technical problem. But such transport is more expensive, and the state cannot bear all the burden. In most countries, one trip is approximately equal to the cost of one liter of fuel. Whether we are ready to pay more than 10,000 rubles for a trip today is a big question.

Alexander Kutynko, "Vitebskiye vesti".