Bashkir government, declaring support for the business, harassed private passenger carriers in favor of the state monopoly
After the appointment of Radium habirova acting Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan in October 2018, he early took to solve the problem of passenger transportation. Serious struggle with illegal immigrants and roof of the security forces and officials, both in the Republic and in its capital. The situation in these two years has changed significantly, however, in connection with the withdrawal from the market of illegal operators, the total number of buses in the country dropped by almost a third.
To prevent traffic jams, the leaders of Bashkortostan and city of Ufa has addressed to businessmen-transport workers for support and asked him to prevent the failure of passenger traffic. Private carriers responded and helped the authorities, regardless of their cost, personal time, finally his own health.
Now, when the problem of illegal immigrants is almost solved, the same, the authorities squeeze them from the market of passenger transportation in which they work for many years and has invested in this business huge sums of money and human resources. It turns out that those of every spoken word about the love care and provide measures of state support to small and medium businesses be the usual chatter. Actually everything is exactly the opposite. Recent boundless pressure of the administrative resource negates the desire to develop business, to upgrade the vehicle and increase efficiency of passenger transportation.
Crippling illegal immigrants, the authorities suddenly began a serious legal pressure from private carriers. These companies and businesses that do not receive any state subsidies and reimbursements, in connection with toughening of requirements to passenger transport, carry significant financial costs. This is the cost of retrofitting buses, bringing them into conformity with the provisions of the new laws, numerous regulations, as well as fulfilling the requirements for renewal of rolling stock.
But, more importantly, in the implementation of passenger traffic in Ufa, suburban and intermunicipal routes, there is an obstacle in the absence of mutual understanding with the municipal governments of Ufa about changes to existing routes and establish new ones, to optimize and increase the efficiency of transport.
Residual traffic
But back to three years ago. In 2017 Getrandom (the State Committee of Bashkortostan Republic on transport and road facilities), a competition was announced for implementation of scientific-research works on development of project “Development of scheduled passenger traffic by road and urban ground electrical transport in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan”. It won some, OOO-shka from the city on the Neva river with a great name “Saint-Petersburg Institute for transport systems”, for some reason, having the status of a “microenterprise” and has a membership of 11 people. This “Institute” has managed in less than 5 months to do a truly Titanic work, surveyed the millions of passengers all over Bashkortostan, Ufa suburbs and in the capital of the Republic.
We have no doubt that Zenit have been a proper and comprehensive survey. However, here’s the thing, during these “research” work carried out its activities for more than two and a half thousand buses of illegal operators. But why spoil the beautiful figure reports some “stuff”. In any case, budget money, in the amount of 11.3 million, was successfully mastered, the contract was successfully executed, all relevant papers, including the final scoping document was completed on time and as Gotrans it took, so very high quality. On the basis of this document was to be decided on formation of bus routes. But only almost two years later, in February of 2019, Gotrans finally prepared a draft document planning the route network, approved by the decree of the government of the Republic.
But the situation is something during this time changed radically. New leadership almost rooting out illegal immigrants, removed from their numerous road transport. However, the need for new, objective tests, Gotrans some reason does not see. Yes, and this is an approved project for the past year has twice been amended. And all these changes are aimed in favor of GUP Bashavtotrans. The impression that as soon as the leadership of Sue understands that any route served by non-state carriers becomes “sweet”, having a large passenger traffic, it runs in Jostrans or city administration demanding to give it to them.
And the fact that these routes were obtained in the tender process and they have corresponding permits, no one cares. You will think, nonsense what! Well, that is no justification of replacements of some other routes in the document with a tricky title “List of inter-municipal routes of regular transportations in respect of which the decision about changing the type of regular transport services” is not listed. Moreover, by 2023, the planned closure of the relevant passengers of existing formal regular routes on which the entrepreneurs operate, and in subsequently placing them for auction. Of course, the conditions are acceptable only for “Bashavtotrans”. As a result of the difficult economic and social situation added to the fact that without a job and livelihood will be thousands of employees of non-state trucking companies.
The decision of questions of passenger vehicles or the struggle of different interests
Advocates of “Bashavtotrans” officials of the city hall and Gastrana Republic jump all over the place. For two years the office of transport and communications of the city administration are not coordinated halts in Ufa for suburban and intermunicipal routes in cases of private carriers. And employees of rostransnadzora (West of the Ural inter-regional management of state road supervision of the Federal service for supervision in the sphere of transport) mercilessly fined for drivers and employers for the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers in urban areas. It may, therefore, filled up by city budget (some do not agree on the spot, and others for this fine). Commuter routes pass through all the main streets of the city, but to stop for the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers on owned bus stops only buses of “Bashavtotrans”, and other carriers drop off passengers at the last stop.
Outraged, first of all, those for whom passenger transport exists. Thousands of passengers suffer great inconvenience, loss of time and money to get from the Terminus of the commuter bus to work and back. And the burden on urban transport in “rush hours” increased. Residents ‘ discontent is spilling over to private carriers, but they can’t do anything because the officials are absolutely “the drum”.
And how can be differently if in a city the interdepartmental Commission considering changes or opening of routes, includes representatives of the public and operators – GUP Bashavtotrans and Control of electrotransport city district the city of Ufa (MOUETTES), which take part in the discussion and vote on all questions, connected with the transport network. Other carriers, as they say, and “not allowed on the threshold”, their wishes and opinions are not something that are ignored, and no one to listen does not want. What can there be healthy competition? But some of them are very large players in this market, “Ufa-Line” of Ilshat Khairullin, “Alliance SKD” Alexander and Nicholas Struebig, “Arbat+” Sergey Belov, “pan-Car” Alexander Ludovina, individual entrepreneurs Fanis warriors and Conopy of Minasov and others.
Does the Head of the Republic about this, or a similar position is carried out on his direct orders, we do not know. But, it seems that the actions of the Republican and Ufa authorities similar to the redistribution of the market of passenger transport, which, besides the state corporate RAID route network, and will not be called. Painfully, their behaviour smacks of comrade Saahova all adored the movie – “And I’m here and set to guard the public interest”.
When radium Khabirov in the categorical form has demanded from law enforcement and regulators to eliminate illegal operators, they’re literally in a week successful with this assignment did. And Rostransnadzor, which for decades did not notice the existence in the Republic of illegal carriers, is currently engaged in a blatant squeezing of entrepreneurs with routes. His staff are putting pressure on private haulers in those areas where in parallel with transports Bashavtotrans, fining them left and right. They are inventing new schemes to impose penalties on bus drivers. And drivers “Bashavtotrans” for similar violations to justice were either not involved, or in much smaller numbers. Despite reports of officials of all stripes in the Republican meeting on the elimination of illegal operators, they still remained in considerable numbers, disguised under the guise of inter-regional traffic. But Rostransnadzor no action applies.
Who will hog the Bashavtotrans
The government of the Republic continues, and continues to invest in deeply unprofitable “Bashavtotrans”, in respect of which the government until recently was of the opinion that it is wiser to fail than to save. Saying that the financial performance of “Bashavtotrans” let much to be desired, so there’s nothing to say. Maybe in 2019 the company’s performance improved dramatically? Unlikely. And for the last three years it was replaced four General Directors, care of each of the preceding accompanied by the inevitable scandals and financial losses. All media published sensational statement of the head region of Radium habirova, that GUP Bashavtotrans paid taxes in the amount of 600 million, but why no one interested in where this Homeric volume of payments. As no one is interested in how to use thousand square meters of real estate, handed over to the GUP in the economic management of the Republic (a list of illiquid items are even on the website of GUP). Evil tongues say that the property of “Bashavtotrans” leased to commercial structures at reduced rates, and most of zadeklarirovali taxes is just with the profits from this activity. One can only speculate what would have been real profit, and what was the amount of taxes, if Bashavtotrans handed over these areas at market rates, or used on purpose, in the interests of state-owned enterprises.
At this point GUP Bashavtotrans is deeply unprofitable enterprise, surviving solely by multimillion-dollar grants Republic. But to speak about qualitative improvement in the transport sector of the Republic and thus do only irrevocable “pouring over” the cash flow of a bankrupt company is a very ambiguous situation. It is clear that no one even raises the question of competitiveness in the economy, management decisions are always the ultimate truth.
It turns out that the establishment of smooth and comfortable transport services for inhabitants of Bashkortostan, putting Bashavtotrans in equal conditions with other carriers inevitably rests on the use of it as a “feeder” for the various stakeholders “elite” groups.
And maybe it’s totally different? The government announced the transformation of the unitary enterprises (state Unitary enterprises and municipal unitary enterprises) in other legal forms. In other words, prescribe their privatization, i.e. the transfer into private hands. And, although the period of these reforms proposed to move until 2023, sooner or later it will happen.
So join him huge amounts of money at the same time forcing Bashavtotrans in deeper debt. Bashkir media about it right wrote: “…our sources at the company claim that every day in “Bashavtotrans” is a lot of fake contracts for hundreds of thousands of rubles. It creates an artificial debt current debts, so do not amuse themselves with the hope that additional funds will be used for improvement of the company“.
The question of in whose hands will leave this asset is not yet clear, but, undoubtedly, around him now there is a fierce “struggle of bulldogs under the carpet”.
Of special note is the introduction of a single transport card “Alga”. Why none of the control and oversight of Federal and Republican authorities are not interested in why non-competitive procedures, ordered all carriers to implement unopposed this payment system. At the same time, the history of the emergence of supplier firms, the status of BRSK as well as the functioning of the system is uncertain, not transparent.
Carriers want justice
Most recently, March 14, handing the keys to 40 new buses of small class “Ford Transit” to “Bashavtotrans”, Chairman of Gotrans Timur Mukhametianov said the remarkable words: “Developing public transport, the challenge for the industry is to make transportation by bus is comfortable and fast than the private car. This work is multifaceted. It includes the continuation and renewal of rolling stock and renewal of the route network“.
Non-state carriers do not require from authorities any concessions or special preferences. They want to work according to the law. Also there are hundreds of drivers and staff. They are also involved in upgrading and modernizing its bus fleet. However they do it for money not from the budget and from own pocket, often getting into loans and debts. And they do not participate in various “sliding” schemes, the description of which, with respect to “Bashavtotrans”, deserves a separate journalistic investigation. Moreover, to determine who and what gets in the form of “kickbacks” for the procurement of fuel, lubricants, spare parts, maps, Alga, insurance, health, etc., etc., is an unsolvable task except that only the authorities and law enforcement agencies… Entrepreneurs want only fairness, same rules for everyone, and that the authorities at least sometimes listened to their opinions.
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