In February 2019, the Ministry of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan launched the Safe City project. Its purpose is to improve traffic conditions, in other words, reduce the number of road accidents, traffic mortality, and ensure safety of citizens. Let’s see whether the Safe City project has tackled the problem and what has changed in two years.
This is one of the components of the Smarty City project that allows citizens receive public services in electronic format, and will improve the safety and comfort of the Kyrgyzstanis.
Safe City is responsible for traffic safety. Cameras installed at intersections capture images of drivers violating traffic rules and accidents.
The project was divided into two stages – it was going to cover the area of Bishkek and Chui region first, and then the whole territory of Kyrgyzstan.
The first stage was completed in August 2020. 110 hardware-software units (HSS) were installed as part of it: 42 in Bishkek, 48 on motorways of Chui region, and 20 mobile units.
The second stage is now in progress. It will be completed in March 2022.
The winners of open tenders for implementation of two stages of the Safe City component were Vega Concern (Russia) and Shenzhen Sunwin Intelligent Co. Ltd. (China). They act as investors of the project and service providers. No funds have been allocated to the project, according to Ministry of Digital Development.
As to fines, according to the Ministry, the Kyrgyzstanis paid 21 million dollars of fines from 2019 to October 2021. This is 66 per cent of all traffic tickets issued.
50 per cent of all fines paid are distributed as follows:
- 5 per cent goes to the State Committee for National Security for maintenance and servicing of the backup data processing centre;
- Nearly 25 per cent goes to the mayor’s office, local governments for creation of road infrastructure, road markings, signs, etc.;
- 5 per cent goes to the Ministry of transport and roads for creation of road infrastructure;
- Nearly 15 per cent goes to the Main Directorate for Road Traffic Safety (GUOBDD) for creation of conditions for police cruisers, functioning of the Monitoring Centre, payment to its operators.
Also, nearly 2.5 dollars from every fine are allocated to Vega, over 30 thousand dollars per year are allocated for technical maintenance of the Safe City system.
The remaining funds go the government budget and are allocated to other public needs – healthcare, education and other. For example, according to Asel Kenenbaeva, deputy minister of digital development, a portion of funds was allocated to purchase ambulance cars during the pandemic.
According to deputy minister Asel Kenenbaeva, citizens may learn if they have fines via apps of their banks, mobile operators and on the electronic services portal. If there are any fines, they can be paid via e-wallets. If the fine is not paid within 15 days, interest will begin to accrue.
Cameras capture seven kinds of traffic infractions (the fines are for individuals):
- Running a yellow and red traffic lights – 35 dollars;
- Wrong-way driving – 35 dollars;
- Driving on the hard shoulder, sidewalks, lawns and pedestrian ways – 12 dollars;
- Crossing the stop sign on red light – 12 dollars;
- Failure to stop/yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk – 12 dollars;
- Failure to stop, stand and park – 12 dollars;
- Exceeding the speed limit for more than 20 km/h – 12 dollars, for more than 40 km/h – 88 dollars.
If the fine is paid within 30 days after the receipt of the notice, the following violations offer a 70 per cent discount:
- Violation of crash helmet or safety belt usage requirements;
- Exceeding the speed limit for not more than 20 km/h and according to part 1 article 123/1.
Despite the cameras, the situation on the roads of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan remains deplorable. Although the number of accidents decrease, they are still more than one thousand per year. Thus, the peak of accidents fell on 2019 in the last 5 years.
“According to the statistics of the Bishkek UOBDD, violations at the intersections where the project cameras are installed have decreased by 50 per cent. As for the remaining parts of the city with no cameras, the situation is the same: drivers can violate as no one sees them, and no one will punish them. That is, most road users, especially drivers, still take the issue of road safety irresponsibly, with no culture,” director of the public association “Road safety” Chinara Kasmambetova said.
Looking at the situation across the country, about 40 per cent of accidents occur on republican roads.
It’s not that easy, the road accident problem won’t be solved by cameras only. According to Chinara Kasmambetova, this issue requires decision of other problems – infrastructure and safe road design, safety of cars, responsibility of drivers.
“Students of driving schools should better learn traffic rules. Cameras should help not only with road accidents, but also with disruptive behaviours of citizens. For example, a few months ago when a girl was abducted and then murdered, police officers could not prevent the crime despite available video materials,” car owner Aziret based in Bishkek said.
Another driver Kanybek said that ordinary citizens pay fines, while politicians and their children go unpunished.
For example, in May 2021 Azamat Omurkulov, son of ex-mayor of Bishkek Isa Omurkulov, hit a bicyclist on a crosswalk. The injured refused to report, and the pre-trial investigation was stopped.
In 2020, Ulanbek Bekishev, the son of the judge of Bishkek administrative court Aidarbek Alymkulov, hit a girl. The traffic accident perpetrator still was not punished.
No, the Safe City cameras help to clear crimes. According to the press service of GUOBDD, 1,992 requests under pre-trial investigation were received from interior affairs departments since the beginning of the project. 75 per cent of them were assisted and offences were solved.
Thus, a 12-year-old adolescent was kidnapped in April 11, 2019 in Kant. With the help of the Safe City cameras, kidnappers were detained without delay.
Title photo: kabar.kg