Transport

Motor vehicles and their emissions essentially impact the air quality in Dushanbe. They contribute more then half of all in-city anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons.

In Dushanbe, many motor vehicles were manufactured in 1970-80-s. Only 15% of all cars were produced in 1990-s. About 90% of all cars are production of former USSR invented 15-20 years old. Virtually no cars are environmentally friendly and ecologically safe.

Source : State statistics

Primitive measuring instruments implement carbon monoxide testing, with all this going on is not enough. There is not any permanent control of vehicles' emissions. Emissions of toxic gases by exploitable automobiles 2-4 times exceed normal values.

Emissions of toxic gases mainly originate because of poor fuel quality. According to the data from the Research Laboratory for Nature Protection, up to 80-90% of all consumable fuel is A-76 gasoline, while all sorts of fuels are leaded gasoline.

Emissions of toxic metals and high-molecular hydrocarbons are still not controlled.

From more then 200 exhaust components just few are controlled - CO2, CO, NOx, SO2. During rush hours, within main roads of Dushanbe NOx and other pollutant's concentration is higher then normal and sometimes photochemical smog is occurring. Solid particles and dust generate aerosols and then spread across big distances.

As the growth of vehicles' number is faster than the increasing of road grid, there is obvious necessity in enlargement of width of the roads and constructing new motorways.

Dushanbe city has two types of roads: republican and local. Lack of bypass roads contributes to the active traffic of trucks within the city, including transit cars. As of 1999, the length of Dushanbe's roads is 1111,2 km, including 826,8 km coated roads.

During last ten years, most of the roads are in unsatisfactory state. Only central roads have been renewed and improved by city administration lately.

Transport density differs by direction and time. Traffic intensity on the main roads, which connect city center and the periphery (Aini, Rudaki, Karabaeva), makes 1500-2000 cars in rush hour. At the gateways, transport density is also high during daytime.

Public transport is functioning on 25 bus routes and 12 trolleybus routes. Also, there are minicabs.

Source : Statistics

Airport and railway station are located in the city. During last decade, the transportation volume by air and rail decreased significantly due to their high costs. There is only one direction branch line, which comes from the west. Intensity of rail transport traffic in Dushanbe is 3-6 trains per day.

To promote environmental safety in the transport sector, the following measures are recommended for implementation:

• Introduction of the system of economic stimulation;
• Increasing of the efficiency of green plantations;
• Fuel quality control;
• Rehabilitation of pavement and regulation of traffic;
• Renewal of the environmental taxation system for different types of vehicles;
• Prohibition of exploitation of the vehicles with high level of pollution;
• Installation of air quality monitoring points along main roads, introduction of mobile laboratories;
• Encouragement of the use of trolleybus public transport;
• Public awareness about the impacts of transport sector on urban environment and responses.

Home page