The road sector will develop on the basis of new approaches

On September 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on reforming the road system.

Over the past 6 years, allocations for construction and repairs in our country have increased 3 times. More than 2 thousand units of special equipment have been purchased for enterprises in the system of the Committee on Highways. Due to this, 65 thousand kilometers of roads were built and repaired.

Last year, the Mening Yulim project was launched and a system of construction and repair of internal roads based on public proposals was introduced. In the current year alone, 410 billion soums were allocated for internal roads in 470 mahallas. The results of road improvement work affected 3.6 million people.

In general, roads in 3 thousand mahallas were paved for the first time, and dirt roads in 2 thousand mahallas were covered with gravel.

However, there are a number of systemic problems in the sphere. One of the main drawbacks is the poor quality of roads under construction. New roads degrade quickly and require repairs.

Road design standards need to be improved. For all types of roads, regardless of the size or climatic conditions of the regions, one template project is used. Roadside infrastructure is not taken into account, as a result, most of the objects of trade and service are placed randomly.

Another reason for poor road quality is poor road control. The current requirements for roads force technical inspectors to spend most of their time studying the contractor's documents, rather than checking the quality of roads. There is a shortage of qualified personnel in road construction who know how to operate modern equipment.

Due to the lack of an automated road monitoring system, there is no objective data on the load on the roads. Vehicles that exceed the permissible axial load move along the roads.

At the meeting, similar problems were analyzed and new measures and proposals were considered.

- A high–quality road is a factor affecting the mood of people and the arteries of our economy. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce new approaches to road construction, improve quality, digitalize the sphere, and widely involve the private sector," Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The tasks for the design, construction, repair and maintenance of highways are defined.

First of all, it was emphasized that it is necessary to improve the design on the basis of an integrated approach. That is, the project should specify the objects of roadside service, that is, the location of parking lots, gas stations, catering facilities, trade and maintenance, as well as green areas.

The Head of our state supported the proposal to switch from the resource method to the volumetric method in road construction. It was also noted the importance of implementing the standards of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, which assumes control over all processes in road construction and final quality by certified engineers.

It is determined that henceforth budget funds for the construction and repair of internal roads will be allocated only within the framework of the Mening Yulim program.

- From now on, our citizens will decide for themselves where to build an internal road and where to repair it. If we do this, there will be transparency in the selection of projects and quality assurance, full public control will be established," the President said.

At least 800 billion soums will be allocated for this program next year.

As you know, even in developed countries, the construction or repair of roads is not carried out only at the expense of the state. Although a legal framework for private partnership has been established in our country, this process is slow in the road sector. In this regard, it is pointed out that it is necessary to actively involve private partners in road projects, clearly defining the conditions for investors and the obligations of the state.

It is also necessary to maintain the quality of roads. For example, in foreign countries, control scales measuring the weight of trucks are installed on the roads. It was proposed to establish such scales in our country on the basis of a private partnership.

In addition, urban improvement departments will be provided with special equipment for the maintenance of roads and landscaping of their surroundings.

Today, more than 2.5 thousand cameras and radars have been installed on the roads, recording violations. In residential areas, the speed limit has been reduced to 60 kilometers per hour. As a result, the number of road accidents decreased by 30 percent. With this in mind, the importance of continuing the widespread implementation of the "smart intersection" and "smart traffic light" control systems was emphasized.

Instructions were given to develop a three-year program for repairing roads and bridges in the districts, financial rehabilitation of road enterprises, and improvement of their material and technical base.

The task was set to develop a draft resolution on the development of the road industry, taking into account the measures outlined at the meeting.

Responsible persons of the industry and heads of regions provided information on the agenda.