MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – The infrastructure development efforts of the Minsk authorities are several years behind the times and do not keep up with the city's infrastructure needs, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with the Minsk authorities on 20 December, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that Minsk turned into a car city where the number of vehicle owners is running too high. Concentration of vehicles in the city center, traffic jams, environmental impact - this is the reality Minsk is facing now.
“In these conditions, road safety issues are getting particularly worrisome, in particular when it comes to children. We should give the city back to people. Minsk should be convenient to navigate, first of all, by public transport, electric kick scooters and bicycles. It makes me really happy when I see many people travelling by bicycle with their families. However, the efforts of the local authorities to improve the respective infrastructure are several years behind the needs of local residents,” Alexander Lukashenko said.
Public transport fails to keep up with the needs of the public. Alexander Lukashenko noted that the subway should significantly ease traffic on the ground. Therefore, four new subway stations should be commissioned in 2020, preferably in the first half of the year.
“We have started using electric buses. People like them. However, the high cost of this new type of transport is burdensome for the budget. The producer should find a way to cut production costs. As far as personal electric vehicles are concerned, we will commission a nuclear power plant in a year, however there are no charging stations, no comprehensive rules for placing charging infrastructure, no meaningful incentives to develop it in Minsk yet,” the president noted.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that it is necessary to use more electric vehicles. The entire world is tilting toward it. “We are suffocating, first of all, because of vehicle emissions, especially in Minsk,” the head of state noted. Alexander Lukashenko added that many people seek to settle in the city center, however, the environmental situation there leaves much to be desired. “Emissions are colossal. There is no airing. People breathe this all in,” the head of state said.
He noted that resolving transport issues is a matter of honor for the new Minsk mayor as he used to be transport minister before.
