Optimising public transport in Baku: preparing for COP29 and beyond
COP29, the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will be held from the 11th to 22nd of November, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This annual climate summit gathers world leaders, experts, and policymakers to discuss climate issues and review progress on global climate goals, including commitments under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
As the city readies itself for the arrival of these world leaders, policymakers, and climate change experts, adjustments are being made to ensure that transport systems run smoothly for the event.
In this post, we’ll examine the changes made for the conference and the usual state of public transit in Baku.
COP29: Dedicated Transport Lanes
With the spotlight on the country’s sustainability reputation, the organizing committee has implemented an optimized transport scheme for the conference duration.
COP29 dedicated transport lanes reserved for public transport (400 buses) and special permit vehicles (including 100 taxis) will be introduced to the city’s streets to minimize delegates’ time getting to events. Transport will also include complimentary conference shuttles and express public buses. The official website says the aim is to offer “accessible and convenient alternatives to minimize citizens’ use of private cars on event days.”
Public Transit in Baku
But what is Baku’s usual public transit picture when climate change is not the focus? Baku is the capital city of a petrostate, so is the city really dedicated to minimizing the use of private cars?
Baku is the only city in Azerbaijan that has a metro system, which was developed during Soviet times. Trains run every 2 to 3 minutes, and the system is clean and safe. In 2019, it carried 229.7 million people, with an average daily ridership of 629,315.
BakuBus is the city’s bus company. According to its website, the services carried over 81 million passengers in the first nine months of 2024. Plans are to add 300 new electric buses to the fleet and gradually phase out fossil-fuelled vehicles.
We examined the city’s fares and payments management and found opportunities to enhance the transport system’s efficiency and user-friendliness. It is always interesting for us at Kuba to examine ways to improve the public transit scene in other cities, even if we don’t have an opportunity to make real changes there right now.
Here’s what we found…
Public Transport Fares and Payments
Current situation: Fare Policy
Public transport fares are cheaper than in other cities, but some research suggests that the fare revenue generated is insufficient to run services. Metro and inner-city bus trips have a flat fare of 50 gapiks (29 cents USD). To increase fare revenue and make more money to reinvest in their transport networks, cities must know as much as possible about their riders. With greater insight, they can offer services that are both priced appropriately and deliver the best possible experience to riders.
Our solution
Kuba’s mobility platform enables agencies to learn how their riders travel and how they pay for journeys. This digital payments data creates insights that help sharpen customer focus. Our API allows integration with business intelligence tools. Through data visualization and detailed reporting, agencies can track emerging trends and base their fare policies on real-world insight.
Current situation: Fare Payments
The BakıKart Mobile App allows users to manage their BakıKart accounts, check their card balance, and recharge them online. The app also provides information on nearby stations and bus stops, helping passengers plan their journeys.
By using BakıKart for both metro and bus services, Baku makes switching between transit modes seamless, which helps encourage more people to choose public transport over cars.
Our solution
Our account-based ticketing platform empowers riders to pay using the travel token of their choice. They don’t need to buy a ticket. Instead, they use a secure token linked to their account, such as a contactless bank card, digital wallet, transit smart card, or ID card.
When open payments are enabled, this removes the problem of waste—both physical waste and waste of operators’ money—caused by issuing plastic smart cards or paper tickets. Passengers already own a bank card or smartphone that doubles as their ticket to ride.
Trip Planning and Real-Time Rider Information
Current situation
The BakıKart Mobile App also provides information on nearby stations and bus stops, helping passengers plan their journeys.
BakuBus, the primary operator of many bus lines in Baku, has its own app that shows real-time bus locations and estimated arrival times.
Our solution
With our mobile app solution, agencies can offer journey planning, booking, and payments for mass transit, micromobility, microtransit, paratransit, rideshare, and other multimodal services, all in one app. The app delivers real-time rider information, trip planning, vehicle occupancy updates, and helpful rider alerts. Riders can subscribe for route and stop push notifications, service disruption and in-app messaging.
Improving Public Transit: Our Comprehensive Solution
If cities like Baku want to develop public transit positively and fully embrace the role transport networks can play in reducing transport CO2 emissions, they must invest in modern solutions.
Effective trip planning, access to real-time information, and simple fare payments are crucial to creating the seamless travel experience that will drive modal shifts from private cars to shared transport. Shifting from cars to public transportation can reduce up to 2.2 tons of carbon emissions annually per individual.
Although COP29 will focus on finance, the conference will also be a critical moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement, which are due by early 2025. These plans aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and reducing carbon emissions from transportation is key to this.
