BAKU, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan has opened a tender to select operators for 21 regular bus routes, including four suburban services in the Baku area, one urban route in Sumgayit and 16 intercity connections.
The Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency, known as AYNA, said carriers must submit their documents by 5 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2026. The agency said the competition is intended to improve the quality, safety and reliability of passenger transport.
Baku and Sumgayit Routes
The four suburban routes serving the Baku area are:
- No. 166: Mashtaga settlement to Nakhchivanski Street;
- No. 194: Qobu Park residential complex to the 20 January metro station;
- No. 505: Jeyranbatan settlement to the Sadarak and Absheron shopping centers;
- No. 506: Masazir village to the Absheron and Sadarak shopping centers.
The Sumgayit tender covers urban route No. 10V, linking the Kosmonavt residential area in the Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev settlement with the central market on Sulh Avenue.
Sixteen Intercity Connections
The intercity routes are Baku–Imishli, Baku–Siyazan, Baku–Aghjabadi, Baku–Aghdam, Baku–Kurdamir, Sumgayit–Gusar, Sumgayit–Beylagan, Sumgayit–Agsu, Mingachevir–Gadabay, Mingachevir–Gabala, Shaki–Oghuz, Gakh–Ganja, Balakan–Sumgayit, Barda–Shaki, Gakh–Shaki and Astara–Lankaran.
AYNA said the Balakan–Sumgayit service is planned to operate every other day. The Sumgayit–Agsu route will follow the M2 Baku–Alat–Gazakh–Georgia state-border highway.
Selection Schedule
The commission will review bids for the five Baku intercity routes on Nov. 20. Proposals for the Sumgayit–Gusar, Sumgayit–Beylagan, Sumgayit–Agsu, Mingachevir–Gadabay and Mingachevir–Gabala routes will be reviewed on Nov. 24.
Bids for Shaki–Oghuz, Gakh–Ganja, Balakan–Sumgayit, Barda–Shaki and Astara–Lankaran will be considered on Nov. 27. The four Baku suburban routes, Sumgayit route No. 10V and the Gakh–Shaki service will be reviewed on Dec. 1.
Applicants must present both primary and reserve buses. Requirements include valid vehicle documents, maintenance and pre-trip inspection agreements, driver medical examinations and mandatory insurance.
The tender announcement does not by itself mean that new services will begin immediately or that current timetables will change. Final operating arrangements will depend on the outcome of the carrier selection process.
Sources: Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency; Vesti Baku.