/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan launches a new transport agency, as President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on establishment of the Baku Transport Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers on December 21.

The decree transferred the Center for Intelligent Transport Management from subordination of the Transport Ministry to the newly created agency.

The Baku Transport Agency will control over compliance with the provisions of legal acts relating to regular transport by road and to the field of transportation by taxi in the administrative territory of Baku city.

Moreover, the agency will carry out measures to improve the quality and efficiency of services of regular passenger traffic and passenger transportation in a taxi.

The agency will employ 160 people.

Public transport in Baku is represented in the form of metro, buses, and taxis.

The Center for Intelligent Transport Management, opened in Baku in 2011, is aimed to improve the transportation system in the capital, boosting the quality of transport services, regulation of public transport traffic and optimization of traffic routes.

At present, there are some 218 bus-routes functioning in Baku including the shuttle bus working between Heydar Aliyev International Airport and 28 May metro station.

The Internal Affairs Ministry was instructed to assist the agency in the application of measures against those who violate the order of transportation of passengers and cargo, and strengthening control over public order in the transport on vehicles and taxis.

The Cabinet of Ministers was also charged to reduce the number of employees of structures, repeating the agency's activities and running in parallel with it.

The other state agencies were also instructed to implement measures connected with the newly established agency.