President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the reorganization of Baku Metro CJSC and related changes to some decrees and orders, as well as the cancellation of certain orders. According to the decree, "Baku Metro" is reorganized by merging Baku Bus LLC and Baku Taxi Service LLC into it.
It is interesting, will it be possible to make payments with the "Baku Card" in taxi services, one wonders?
According to Medianews.az, regarding this issue, Baku Metro CJSC stated that since the process has just started, no specific decisions or implementation dates regarding payment systems have been determined yet:
"The relevant innovation that occurred with the integration of Baku Bus LLC and Baku Taxi Service LLC into Baku Metro CJSC is part of the transition to a unified management model in urban public transport. Since the process has just begun, no specific decisions or implementation dates regarding payment systems have been determined yet.
At this stage, the main goal is to ensure more efficient and coordinated management of various types of transport within a single system. In the future, from this perspective, different approaches may be considered for developing more convenient, flexible, and digital payment mechanisms for passengers. However, any decisions regarding the implementation of a new model will only be made after technical, operational, and economic evaluations.
The "Baku Card" model currently applied in the metro and bus systems in Baku has already enabled the formation of a multimodal payment infrastructure. In international practice, unified payment systems are widely used to increase passenger convenience. In several cities worldwide, passengers can use metro, bus, and taxi services via the same app, unified balance, or a common transportation card.
In modern international practice, different approaches are used for the integration of metro and taxi services. In some cities, special taxi zones are created at metro exits, and other services ensuring passengers' travel to their destinations are utilized.
The main goal is to organize the payment and movement process more quickly, comfortably, and transparently for passengers. The process is planned to be implemented in stages, and the public will be informed about innovations that may be introduced in the future."
(Publika.az)