Rashad Nabiyev: Only 20,000 taxis remain in Baku

Today, only 20,000 taxis are operating in Baku, Azerbaijan, with no social problems arising, Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, said during the session held within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

The minister recalled that in the past, taxi drivers worked almost 24 hours a day, endangering passenger safety: "We aimed to shift citizens from private cars and taxis to public transport, and although we faced serious criticism, we had clear evidence that this change would free up the roads. At that time, there were about 67,000 taxis, and everyone complained about quality. Today, taxi drivers work normal hours - about 8 hours daily. Comparing 67,000 to 20,000, we did not eliminate jobs; they remained, but service quality improved."

Nabiyev added that micromobility solutions were also considered in the transformation: "To give meaning to micromobility, we expanded opportunities for bicycles, scooters, and most importantly, pedestrians. We also considered how this would affect environmental issues and CO2 emissions. To move beyond a single city center, we explored how to make Baku polycentric. As my colleague Anar Guliyev mentioned, a polycentric city means everyone can quickly access schools, cultural venues, healthcare facilities, and offices. Are we fully there yet? No. But as His Excellency noted, places like White City and Cyprus are excellent examples of Baku's polycentric future."