This article was originally published on JAMnews.
Sports journalist Anar Khanlarov left his home in Sumgayit half an hour earlier than usual on 21 September to make it to Baku in time for a TV programme. But even that was not enough.
He planned to take the metro from 20 January station to Nizami, then a bus to 28 May, followed by bus No 5 towards State Flag Square. As the İdman TV studio was undergoing renovation, filming was taking place at the Rowing Federation building on the boulevard.
His bus became stuck in traffic near Winter Park. Khanlarov continued on foot towards the Puppet Theatre, hoping to catch another bus from there or, failing that, take a taxi. When he reached the theatre at 20:40, he found that the road towards Bayil was closed. The programme began at 21:00, but Khanlarov did not reach the filming location until 21:25, alternating between walking and running. By then he was sweating heavily, and the production team decided he was not in a suitable condition to appear on air. As a result, Khanlarov did not take part in the programme at all that day.
The main events of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on 24–26 September. But even before the racing begins, road closures and changes to bus routes have brought life in the city to a standstill.
26 bus routes changed, leaving passengers with no real alternative
According to a plan by the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA), 26 bus routes have been changed between 21 and 26 September.
Route No 5, which Khanlarov had planned to take, is among those affected. On one section, the bus runs between Nariman Narimanov metro station and Suleyman Rahimov Street, while on another it runs along a route covering the Salyan Highway, Bibi-Heybat Mosque and the Baku Funicular. Under the new arrangements, it is no longer possible to use the bus to travel from the city centre to Bayil via the usual route. Some stops on this and other routes are inside the restricted race zone. There is no alternative public transport available.
The changes have also affected people travelling into the city from the suburbs. Buses No 149 and 149E from the settlement of Sahil and No 195E from Alat now run only as far as the Lokbatan transport hub near the Bina shopping centre. Passengers travelling to the city centre have to change to another form of transport. Bus No 125 reaches the centre via the ring road through Badamdar.
The transit corridors announced by the organisers are also not an alternative for bus passengers. On 21–22 September, they are open from 07:00 to 09:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00. However, these arrangements do not apply to public transport. Except in emergencies, picking up and dropping off passengers is also prohibited within the transit corridors. By the time Khanlarov reached the Puppet Theatre at 20:40, he says, the evening transit window had already closed.
‘We haven’t moved for an hour and 40 minutes’
Former transport officials have also complained about the traffic jams. Mais Aghayev, former head of the Baku Transport Agency’s press service, wrote on Facebook:
“We haven’t moved for an hour and 40 minutes on the stretch from the Mikayil Aliyev roundabout towards Heydar Aliyev Avenue.”
The congestion has also been acknowledged by the authorities. On the evening of 22 September, the Intelligent Transport Management Centre reported traffic jams on 28 May Street, as well as on the section of Shamsi Badalbeyli Street running from Winter Park towards the Central Bank. These streets are also part of the routes affected by AYNA’s changes to bus services.
Seven schools and universities switch to remote learning
Measures related to the race are not limited to changes to transport. According to the Baku City Education Department, seven schools are holding classes online from 22 to 26 September: Public Schools No 6, 7, 8 and 23, Classical Gymnasium No 160, Lyceum No 132–134 and the Ilyas Efendiyev Elite Gymnasium.
Under an order issued by the Ministry of Science and Education, universities in Baku have also switched to remote learning from 23 to 25 September. The ministry says the measure is intended to ensure continuity of the education process.
The move may reduce the number of daily journeys to schools and universities. However, remote learning creates additional difficulties for working parents: who will look after younger children, and how will families ensure they have the devices and internet access needed for online classes? The switch to remote learning does not mean parents no longer have to go to work. So while it may ease pressure on the transport system, it does not necessarily ease the everyday burden on families.
No indication of how much longer journeys will take
Natig Jafarli, an economist and chairman of the Republican Alternative party, linked the problem to Baku’s fragmented system of governance in a Facebook post on 14 September. In his view, the key factors are the availability of public transport and journey times. He also argues that any changes to working hours should take into account the school schedules of employees’ children.
Economist Akif Nasirli told Radio Azadliq that the race should be held outside the city centre. In his view, the economic benefits of the event should not be used to justify restrictions on residents’ freedom of movement:
“People have the right to move freely in their own country, in their own capital.”
AYNA’s traffic management plan for the race, published on 19 September, lists alternative streets that drivers can use. However, it provides no information on actual bus frequencies along the altered routes, how much additional time journeys will take, or how much time passengers may lose when changing between separate sections of disrupted routes.
For residents, it is not enough simply to know which street a bus will take. They need to know when to leave home, where they will have to change and whether they can get to work on time. Without this information, the burden of adapting to the route changes — and the consequences of any resulting delays — falls on passengers themselves.
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