AZE.US
Staggered work schedules may help reduce traffic pressure in parts of Baku, but they will not solve the capital’s congestion problem on their own, officials and transport experts say.
The issue has returned to public debate as Baku considers shifting some institutions and organizations to different working hours to ease rush-hour traffic.
MP Fazil Mustafa told Redaktor.az that traffic jams in Baku are a much broader problem than overlapping work schedules.
“This will not prevent traffic jams, because the problem is more global,” Mustafa said.
He said more effective steps could include alternative roads, transport routes across the sea and modern bridge infrastructure, including multi-level and suspended models.
Mustafa also said reducing pressure on Baku should be a priority. That, he said, requires more jobs and business activity in the regions.
“As people find employment opportunities in the regions, the flow into the capital will decrease,” he said. “As population density falls, the traffic problem can also be partly reduced.”
Expert: The idea is already in the state program
Transport expert Elmaddin Muradli said changing work schedules is one of the measures already considered as part of efforts to reduce traffic congestion.
He said the idea is not new.
“This issue has been reflected in the state program for two years,” Muradli told Redaktor.az. “Maybe the respected deputy simply did not touch on this point. But in substance, this is not a new issue.”
Muradli said state bodies must study what results staggered work schedules could produce before any large-scale rollout.
He said the benefits and risks should be assessed carefully.
“The state program does not say that all of this should be applied immediately,” Muradli said. “It says regulation should be carried out in this direction. Research and analysis are necessary.”
He said such decisions cannot be made from an office or by simply pressing a button in parliament.
“The real situation must be studied, and the possible positive or negative consequences of each step must be assessed,” he said.
Not every district will see the same effect
Muradli said the discussion covers schools, medical institutions, private companies, non-governmental organizations, state agencies and large enterprises.
But he said the effect would vary by area.
“There are zones where changing the start or end of working hours will not have a serious impact,” Muradli said. “But there are also zones where such changes are really necessary and can produce positive results.”
The broader conclusion, experts say, is that staggered schedules may be useful in some parts of Baku, but they are not a standalone solution.
For a visible improvement, the city would need targeted analysis, infrastructure changes, better regional employment and a wider plan to reduce the daily load on the capital.
AZE.US