The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) created an extremely detailed project for the management and operation of public transportation in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) two years ago, commissioned by the Ministry of Transport of Canton Sarajevo (CS).
The final report on this project, over 400 pages long, addresses everything from the current state of public transportation, through demographic trends, to recommendations for improving behavior culture in public transportation. The report contains very important data, and we have selected some of it.
Projections on private cars
The number of registered vehicles is one of the relevant indicators of how neglected public transport in CS has been. Currently, there are more than 180 thousand registered vehicles in the canton, while JICA estimates that this number will increase to 190 thousand by 2030, that is, by 5.55 percent. In addition, that number will rise to 1.4 million vehicles in the rest of the country, of which 13.57 percent will be in the capital.
There are currently 420.287 inhabitants, and according to the urban plan for the period from 2016 to 2036, it is estimated that this number will increase to 620 thousand, that is, by 32.21 percent. This increase is expected to be particularly evident in Novi Grad, Ilidza, and Vogosca.
In CS, 124 thousand households, or 83 percent, own one or more vehicles. A survey conducted among six thousand households for the purpose of this project determined that: 62 percent use private vehicles to go to work and school, and 62.7 percent for private purposes; 27.9 percent use public transport to go to work and school, and 24.7 percent for private purposes; 8.1 percent use non-motorized means of transportation to go to work and school, and 12.5 percent for private purposes.
Furthermore, it was also determined that: Among women, 42.6 percent use public transportation, 47.9 percent use private vehicles, while 9.5 percent use non-motorized forms of transport; Among men, 27.1 percent use public transportation, 64.9 percent use private vehicles, and 7.8 percent use non-motorized forms of transport.
The travel time to some of the largest office and shopping centers was also established.
Namely, the majority (41 percent) take between half an hour and one hour to get to their office, while 38 percent need more than an hour, 15 percent need between 15 and 30 minutes, and six percent need less than 15 minutes.
On the other hand, the majority (41 percent) take between half an hour and one hour to get to a shopping center, while 37 percent need more than an hour, 15 percent need between 15 and 30 minutes, and six percent need less than 15 minutes.
Public transportation
Among other things, the daily number of passengers at the stops of the Ilidza–Bascarsija tram line and the Otoka-Jezero trolleybus line was analyzed, as two of the most frequented lines in public transportation.
Regarding the mentioned tram line, the attached graph shows that the highest daily number of entries and exits from the vehicle occurs at the stops in Ilidza, Otoka, Marijin Dvor, and Bascarsija.
Regarding the mentioned trolleybus line, the attached graph shows that the highest daily number of entries and exits from the vehicle occurs at the stops in Ciglane, Hamze Hume Street, and Otoka.
The attached table provides an overview of the daily number of passengers on the most frequented public transport lines.
Several recommendations were given on how to improve tram and trolleybus transport as the backbone of public transportation in CS. Recommendations were given for the case of complete service, hypothetical service, and optimal service.
Complete service implies a high level of service, shorter vehicle waiting times, and less crowding in the vehicles. However, it was estimated that it is difficult to fully meet all vehicle needs; the existing tram track allows for the operation of up to 45 vehicles without significant speed reduction, and the costs of complete service would be high.
It was noted that the company GRAS attempted to put 65 trams into operation, but that this was not feasible given the 44 stops. It was determined that this would only be feasible in several decades, considering the current financial and operational conditions at GRAS.
Hypothetical service implies the highest level of service compared to larger cities in the world, the shortest vehicle waiting times, and the least crowding in the vehicles. However, it was estimated that the existing tram and trolleybus infrastructure cannot support the required number of vehicles, significant infrastructure changes are needed, and the required number of vehicles is not fully financed.
Optimal service implies what is achievable with the existing infrastructure, with minor investments, and therefore lower costs. At the same time, it would be necessary to maintain the current trend of fleet renewal, adapt to passenger needs based on data obtained through the new payment system, and maintain the current speed and occupancy level of vehicles. However, these improvements would not reach the level of public transport development in some other cities.
As a priority, solving the decades-long problem of fare evasion was emphasized.
A review was also given of the Ilidza-Hrasnica tram line, which is under construction. It was assessed that this is a line that does not generate many passengers, but that this could change with further development of that area. For the planned tram line from Nedzarici to Dobrinja and additional trolleybus lines, it was stated that they could be strong competition to the existing bus and trolleybus lines.
One of the issues highlighted in the development of public transportation is the number of employees at the Ministry of Transport of CS who deal with public transportation. Namely, 47 employees are engaged with public transport and traffic overall, while, for comparison, in Grenoble, whose population is similar to that of CS, 100 people are engaged exclusively in the development of tram and trolleybus transport, Klix.ba writes.
