1. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE: NEW APROACH FOR BETTER QUALITY OF SERVICE
City of Skopje
Workshop June 2008 – Skopje
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE:
NEW APROACH FOR BETTER QUALITY OF SERVICE
Prof. Dr. NIKOLA KRSTANOSKI
University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BITOLA
Faculty for Technical Sciences
Department for Transport and Traffic Engineering

2. Quick facts – Skopje the macedonian capital
City of Skopje
Quick facts – Skopje the macedonian capital
7088 ha
Rapid development after the earthquake in 1963
inhabitants in 2005 (25% of the total population)
202 Passenger cars/1000 inhabitants

3. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
Public PT operator – JSP Skopje established in 1948
Until 1990, the only operator in Skopje
In 1989 amendments to the Law for road transport – deregulation of the PT
Since 1990 public transport company + private operators

4. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
Three PT operators:
JSP Skopje – public –the biggest operator
“Sloboda prevoz” – private
“Mak Ekspres” – private
83,75% of the lines (67) operated by JSP Skopje
16,25% of the lines (13) operated by the private operators

5. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
JSP Skopje:
1290 employees
380 vehicles
250 vehicles operating daily
Average fleet age 17,4 years
passengers per year (compared to passengers per year in 1989)
km per year
Commercial speed 18,5 km/h

6. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SKOPJE TODAY
Private operators
250 individual transporters organized in two private association
250 vehicles
27,27 years average bus age
13 lines (7 urban + 6 suburban and rural)
Rented maintenance facilities

7. City of Skopje

8. Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje
City of Skopje
Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

9. PUBLIC TRANSPORT – THE PROBLEMS
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT – THE PROBLEMS
The deregulation of PT – a step back:
No established policy, no objectives to be achieved, no vision for future development of PT in Skopje
very poorly planned and put into practice (no well-thought standards and criteria for providing of PT service)
The result:
chaos and continuous deterioration of public transport services over the next 18 years

10. PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
THE PROBLEMS
Lack of policy for future sustainable development of the urban transport system in Skopje as a whole and PT system specifically
Currently:
the main planning of the transport system is within the general urban plan
this process must be improved and existing deficiencies to be overcome

11. PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
THE PROBLEMS
Business environment within the PT market
Currently:
- deregulated market with examples where direct competition between different service providers exists – (fight for passengers, no integrated services, no integrated ticketing)
- well-defined standards and criteria for doing a business in the PT are needed and their strict application is a must

12. PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
THE PROBLEMS
Problem of financing
- bad business environment - deterioration of services -continuous loss of passengers – financial exhaustion of public PT company
- no subsidies of any kind for PT providers – a rare case in Europe
- recent huge increase of fuel prices as well as the other operational costs – additional financial burden

13. Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje
City of Skopje
Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

14. City of Skopje

15. PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
City of Skopje
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TODAY
THE PROBLEMS
Deterioration of the quality of service – loss of passengers
- very old vehicle fleet
problems with the service reliability (breakdowns, traffic congestion)
poor passenger information
low commercial speed – long travel times
un-convenient ticketing and fare system
pollution from PT vehicles

16. Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje
City of Skopje
Suburban and rural lines operated by JSP Skopje

17. Mobility and modal share – total and by PT
City of Skopje
Mobility and modal share – total and by PT
1965
1977
1998
2018
Inhabitants ?
% of trips by PT 68 45
34?
45?
PT mobility per capita
(trips per year)
201
290
193?
340?
Total mobility per capita (trips per year)
295
644
567?
756?
Total mobility (trips per year) ? ?
Total number of trips by PT per year ? ?

18. the existing and the potential PT users
City of Skopje
OBJECTIVES
to increase the modal share of PT – to increase the attractiveness of PT – to improve the PT service quality
TARGET GROUP
the existing and the potential PT users

19. City of Skopje
PLANNED MEASURES
To develop a strategy for development of sustainable urban transport system in Skopje
(to be developed soon as a specific activity within FP7 project RENESSAINCE)
To develop a strategy for development of PT system in Skopje
- The strategy includes solutions to the problems of PT organization – market definition, financing, quality of service, etc.)
(strategy has been already done – its enforcing is to start soon)

20. To improve the quality of service
City of Skopje
PLANNED MEASURES
To improve the quality of service
- renewal of the vehicle fleet
(the government has already approved purchase of 50 new buses – financing from the state budget)
- introduction of AVL system (Automated Vehicle Location) in other to improve service reliability and service quality
(in the process is the approval - demonstration project is planned with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE)

21. To improve the quality of service
City of Skopje
PLANNED MEASURES
To improve the quality of service
- introduction of real-time passenger information
(demonstration project is planned with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE)
- introduction of smart ticketing based on integrated fare system for all PT service providers
- introduction of Light Rail Transit for better service – faster, greater capacity, more environmentally friendly, greater comfort
(the project activities in progress lines planned)

22. To reduce the pollution from PT vehicles
City of Skopje
PLANNED MEASURES
To reduce the pollution from PT vehicles
- conversion of transit diesel vehicles to CNG
(The public PT company JSP SKOPJE has already converted 30 vehicles to CNG – more conversions will be done with in the FP7 project RENESSAINCE)
- introduction of electric powered LRT vehicles – the project activities in progress

23. IMPLEMENATION PROBLEMS
City of Skopje
IMPLEMENATION PROBLEMS
lack of sufficient financing sources
political environment in the country and in the region
lack of capacities (institutional and human)
public awareness

24. City of Skopje
COOPERATION
Department for Traffic and Transport Engineering, University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bitola
Within the FP7 project RENESSAINCE cooperation with 27 partners from Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria

25. EXPECTED RESULTS to improve of the overall transport system in Skopje
City of Skopje
EXPECTED RESULTS
to improve of the overall transport system in Skopje
(less traffic congestion, less pollution, less time loss, better environment)
to increase the attractiveness and the quality of service of the PT in Skopje
(better modal share, increased number of public transport passengers,
lessen pressure of private automobile, better environment)
to meet the future demand for urban travel by planning PT modes with higher performance and capacity features

26. NEXT STEPS to implement the strategy for PT development in Skopje
City of Skopje
NEXT STEPS
to implement the strategy for PT development in Skopje
to develop the plan for sustainable urban transport system
to introduce the AVL system
to introduce the real-time passenger information system
to introduce integrated fare system and smart ticketing
to convert more PT buses to CNG
to introduce the LRT in Skopje