New Game Rules Required
28.11.2007 (17:20)
The main themes of V International conference “OAO RZD on the Transport Services Market: Cooperation and Partnership” which is held in Moscow are the Railway Transport Development Strategy till 2030 and shortcomings of the legislative base regulating transport sector.
According to the Strategy approved by the RF Government, the Russian Railways throughput and passenger turnover will increase by 70% and 30% respectively by 2030. The park of OAO RZD will be renewed - the company will purchase 30 thousand locomotives, 1 million freight wagons, 30 thousand passenger wagons. Besides, new lines will be constructed and existing ones will be reconstructed that will allow to do away with bottle-necks and increase the density of the railway network. Speed of cargoes delivery will increase by 26%, passenger transportation – by 25%. 97% of all transportation will be delivered on time.
The investments into Russian transport sector of the country according to the Strategy (planned investments amount to 13.7 trln rubles), will allow the federal budget to get 40 trln rubles by 2030.
However, these plans need adequate legal support to be carried out.
Chairman of Federation Council subcommittee on railway transport, ports and airports Viktor Glukhih considers negative the fact that three basic laws regulating rail transportation sector (“Railway Transport Code”, “On Railway Transport” and “On Peculiarities of Railway Transportation Property Management”) have not been updated for three years already. The railway sector has changed and the current base normative doesn’t meet the reality.
President of OAO RZD Vladimir Yakunin said: “We need new “game rules” which would meet the current market situation and provide carrying out of the reform. Today it is necessary to refuse legislative fetters which hinder further sector development”. V.Glukhih even suggested to suspend the railway transport reform because there is no corresponding legislative base for a part of its components.
Probably, the situation is not so catastrophic, as V.Glukhih considers. Deputy Minister of Transport of RF Alexander Misharin noted that in 2007 his department did serious work to write new “game rules”. “Motor Transport Code”, the law “On Seaports” were approved, process of the choice of special economic port zones has been started. Besides, amendments to the law “On Railway Transport” are being prepared.
Deputy Head of Federal Agency of Railway Transport (Roszheldor) Alan Lushnikov listed changes of the normative base prepared by agency in detail. Roszheldor plans to become an active market regulator, who has real powers to resolve a dispute of subjects (for example, the owner of infrastructure and independent operators) and provide nondiscriminating access to public railways for the interested parties. However, these changes which can improve the competitive conditions in the sector are still being coordinated with executive power bodies.
By Ivan Stupachenko
Print version
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