City of Skopje

1. City of Skopje Workshop 03. - 05. June 2008 – Skopje TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE: NEW APROACH FOR BETTER QUALITY OF SERVICE Prof. Dr. NIKOLA KRSTANOSKI University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BITOLA Faculty for Technical Sciences Department for Transport and Traffic Engineering

2. City of Skopje • Quick facts – Skopje the macedonian capital • 7088 ha • Rapid development after the earthquake in 1963 • 506 926 inhabitants in 2005 (25% of the total population) • 202 Passenger cars/1000 inhabitants

3. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY • Public PT operator – JSP Skopje established in 1948 • Until 1990, the only operator in Skopje • In 1989 amendments to the Law for road transport – deregulation of the PT • Since 1990 public transport company + private operators

4. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY • Three PT operators: • JSP Skopje – public –the biggest operator • “Sloboda prevoz” – private • “Mak Ekspres” – private • 83,75% of the lines (67) operated by JSP Skopje • 16,25% of the lines (13) operated by the private operators

5. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY • JSP Skopje: • 1290 employees • 380 vehicles • 250 vehicles operating daily • Average fleet age 17,4 years • 45 000 000 passengers per year (compared to 150 000 000 passengers per year in 1989) • 15 000 000 km per year • Commercial speed 18,5 km/h

6. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY • Private operators • 250 individual transporters organized in two private association • 250 vehicles • 27,27 years average bus age • 13 lines (7 urban + 6 suburban and rural) • Rented maintenance facilities

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8. City of Skopje Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

9. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT – THE PROBLEMS • The deregulation of PT – a step back: • No established policy, no objectives to be achieved, no vision for future development of PT in Skopje • very poorly planned and put into practice (no well-thought standards and criteria for providing of PT service) • The result: • chaos and continuous deterioration of public transport services over the next 18 years

10. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY • THE PROBLEMS • Lack of policy for future sustainable development of the urban transport system in Skopje as a whole and PT system specifically • Currently: • the main planning of the transport system is within the general urban plan • this process must be improved and existing deficiencies to be overcome

11. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY • THE PROBLEMS • Business environment within the PT market • Currently: • - deregulated market with examples where direct competition between different service providers exists – (fight for passengers, no integrated services, no integrated ticketing) • - well-defined standards and criteria for doing a business in the PT are needed and their strict application is a must

12. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY • THE PROBLEMS • Problem of financing • - bad business environment - deterioration of services -continuous loss of passengers – financial exhaustion of public PT company • - no subsidies of any kind for PT providers – a rare case in Europe • - recent huge increase of fuel prices as well as the other operational costs – additional financial burden

13. City of Skopje Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

14. City of Skopje

15. City of Skopje • PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY • THE PROBLEMS • Deterioration of the quality of service – loss of passengers • - very old vehicle fleet • problems with the service reliability (breakdowns, traffic congestion) • poor passenger information • low commercial speed – long travel times • un-convenient ticketing and fare system • pollution from PT vehicles

16. City of Skopje Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

17. City of Skopje Mobility and modal share – total and by PT

18. City of Skopje • OBJECTIVES • to increase the modal share of PT – to increase the attractiveness of PT – to improve the PT service quality • TARGET GROUP • the existing and the potential PT users

19. City of Skopje • PLANNED MEASURES • To develop a strategy for development of sustainable urban transport system in Skopje • (to be developed soon as a specific activity within FP7 project RENESSAINCE) • To develop a strategy for development of PT system in Skopje • - The strategy includes solutions to the problems of PT organization – market definition, financing, quality of service, etc.) • (strategy has been already done – its enforcing is to start soon)

20. City of Skopje • PLANNED MEASURES • To improve the quality of service • - renewal of the vehicle fleet • (the government has already approved purchase of 50 new buses – financing from the state budget) • - introduction of AVL system (Automated Vehicle Location) in other to improve service reliability and service quality • (in the process is the approval - demonstration project is planned with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE)

21. City of Skopje • PLANNED MEASURES • To improve the quality of service • - introduction of real-time passenger information • (demonstration project is planned with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE) • - introduction of smart ticketing based on integrated fare system for all PT service providers • - introduction of Light Rail Transit for better service – faster, greater capacity, more environmentally friendly, greater comfort • (the project activities in progress - 3 + 1 lines planned)

22. City of Skopje • PLANNED MEASURES • To reduce the pollution from PT vehicles • - conversion of transit diesel vehicles to CNG • (The public PT company JSP SKOPJE has already converted 30 vehicles to CNG – more conversions will be done with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE) • - introduction of electric powered LRT vehicles – the project activities in progress

23. City of Skopje • IMPLEMENATION PROBLEMS • lack of sufficient financing sources • political environment in the country and in the region • lack of capacities (institutional and human) • public awareness

24. City of Skopje • COOPERATION • Department for Traffic and Transport Engineering, University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bitola • Within the FP7 project RENESSAINCEcooperation with 27 partners from Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria

25. City of Skopje • EXPECTED RESULTS • to improve of the overall transport system in Skopje • (less traffic congestion, less pollution, less time loss, better environment) • to increase the attractiveness and the quality of service of the PT in Skopje • (better modal share, increased number of public transport passengers, • lessen pressure of private automobile, better environment) • to meet the future demand for urban travel by planning PT modes with higher performance and capacity features

26. City of Skopje • NEXT STEPS • to implement the strategy for PT development in Skopje • to develop the plan for sustainable urban transport system • to introduce the AVL system • to introduce the real-time passenger information system • to introduce integrated fare system and smart ticketing • to convert more PT buses to CNG • to introduce the LRT in Skopje