|
|
 
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||||
|
Oleg Starovoytov, Ministry of Transport, Russian Federation
Oleg Starovoytov, Ministry of Transport, Russian Federation
Information and Current Issues on Regular International Bus Routes operating between Russia and the European Union The Russian Federation Ministry of Transport regards international transport by coach and bus as one of the key areas for developing transport services between the European Union and Russia. Regular international passenger services by bus between Russia and Western Europe started to develop actively in the 1990s. At the same time, as international links increased and visa regulations were liberalised, Russia entered the European passenger transport market. Bilateral intergovernmental agreements on international road transport based on the standard agreement drafted by the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE), have been signed, forming the foundations of legal regulation in this service category. To date, such agreements have been signed with 49 states, of which 38 are European. At present, regular international bus services from Russia represent an important part of the transport services sector. Faster than rail links and cheaper than air travel, bus services enable passengers to reach any city reliably, safely, and with maximum comfort, whenever required. Comfortable modern Euro-2 and Euro-3 coaches with experienced professional drivers at the wheel are used on international routes. Russia, as a signatory of the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR), is taking appropriate measures to ensure compliance with the provisions of this agreement. All buses and coaches operating on international passenger routes are equipped with tachographs, making it possible to monitor the driver's working and rest schedule and his observance of speed limits. In accordance with the AETR, employees of the Federal Transport Inspectorate within the Russian Federation Ministry of Transport monitor both Russian and foreign transport operators at crossing points situated both on Russia's borders, and within the Russian Federation. They check the relevant travel permits, monitoring devices (tachographs), distinctive marks indicating the country in which the vehicle is registered, and compliance with other rules stipulated by Russian Federation legislation and international treaties. Over the past 10 years, traffic between Russia's major and medium-sized cities and European countries has become a common occurrence. Destinations include Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Warsaw, Tallinn, Paris, Marseilles, Helsinki, Turku, Athens, Naples, Vilnius, Riga, and others. There are currently 262 regular international bus routes operating between Russia and the European Union, on which about 1,500 buses belonging to 185 Russian transport companies are in use. This is not enough, of course, to satisfy the Russian market for international passenger services by bus. We invite partners in the European Union to become more actively engaged in this business. It must be noted, at the same time, that along with the favourable aspects of this trend (rising numbers of passengers travelling on regular international bus services and increased income) there has unfortunately been a rise in road traffic accidents. When obtaining a permit to operate a regular international bus service, one of the conditions is that transport operators must confirm to the ministries of transport of their countries, in addition to everything else, timetables and fares, as well as the working and rest schedules of the crews. About eighty percent of regular international bus routes pass through Poland and Belarus. Express services are operated on most of the routes from the Russian Federation to Europe, meaning that a "closed-door" policy is observed through Poland and Belarus, with no passengers joining or leaving the bus. These services are operated strictly according to the timetable at fares agreed and approved by the partners, and on the basis of permits issued by the relevant authorities of these states. Individual routes from Russia to Western European countries can be as long as 6,000 kilometres, taking five and a half days to complete, necessitating the substitution of drivers in Poland. Unfortunately, the Polish border authorities do not in practice allow drivers to be replaced within Poland, citing the "closed-door" regulations. In our view, this ultimately affects the safety of the travelling passengers. In conclusion, I would like to appeal to the leadership of the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure for assistance in resolving this issue.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
