Damascus-SANA
During the year 2021, the Ministry of Transport implemented several projects, including activating air transport and rehabilitating a large number of roads, bridges, airports, and railways, with the aim of connecting lifelines between Syrians and other countries.
In the field of air transport, flights to the Emirates were restarted as of June 20, while last September the first flight of Pakistan Airlines arrived to Damascus, marking the return of the movement after a 20-year hiatus, and operating regular flights from (Karachi - Islamabad - Lahore) airports. ) to Damascus International Airport.
The number of operated flights to (Beirut.. Cairo.. Doha.. Khartoum.. Abu Dhabi.. Dubai.. Sharjah.. Moscow) was increased in order to meet the needs of travelers, while regular weekly flights were operated from Aleppo to Beirut and vice versa to secure Transferring Syrian travelers to their destinations via Beirut Airport, re-operating regular flights from Damascus Airport to Qamishli Airport, according to the available technical possibility, in addition to restarting regular flights from Damascus to Baghdad, Najaf and Moscow and vice versa, and supporting private national transport in operating flights (Armenia..Aleppo).
The Ministry rehabilitated and increased the length of the Lattakia Airport runway with navigational lighting installations in it, rehabilitating the passenger terminal and service buildings, in addition to the navigational lighting installations at Damascus International Airport under the supervision of the competent directorates, in addition to continuing the construction of the parallel landing strip at Aleppo International Airport to be a substitute for the current helipad in the event of its failure or maintenance and installation. Electric generators in it to secure the electrical supply and not go out of service, while navigational lighting devices were supplied to all airports to ensure flight safety and an automation system was installed for easy control between the control tower and the airstrips.
In the field of rail transport, the (Damascus.. Sergaya) line was rehabilitated, and the restoration and rehabilitation of the stations (Al Hijaz.. Al Qadam.. Al Kiswa.. Al Maidan.. Al Rabwah.. Dummar.. Al Hama) was carried out, in addition to carrying out the works of equipping and renovating the hangar of the new license plate factory in the station. Al-Qadam and running a train on the axis (Damascus.. Al-Rabwa.. Al-Hama.. Jdeidet Al-Wadi) and the reconstruction of locomotives and wagons in the General Establishment of the Hijaz Railway.
The ministry was able to modify open-top rail trucks and convert them into dump trucks to transport gravel, maintain motor and mobile tools and electrical materials, and manufacture what can be manufactured locally according to internationally approved technical specifications.
In the field of maritime transport, on the 23rd of December, it was permitted to establish marine classification bodies whose mission is to set standards for classifying and supervising ships in accordance with international standards. Pumps, compressors, electrical and navigational devices and spare parts for the main and auxiliary engines of the three ships (Syria.. Laodicea.. Phoenicia) were replaced. The marine property occupancy allowances were raised according to the popular prices and were put up for the first time in a public auction away from contracting by mutual consent.
In the field of road transport, slippage and some other sites on the Al-Haffah detour and Sheikh Mansour Tunnel in Lattakia were completed and the alternative road was completed from (Bakka.. Thebein.. Al-Muftara roundabout) in As-Suwayda, while the ongoing maintenance contracts amounted to 83 contracts on the entire network with the completion of traffic safety requirements / paint .. Signals .. Controlling loads and rehabilitating roads and bridges damaged by terrorism, as 32 bridges out of 85 in various governorates were repaired.
During the year, the ministry carried out maintenance and wiring works for the international road (Damascus..Aleppo) to Al-Raqqa, the Aleppo International Airport road back and forth, and the international road for the liberated areas between Hama governorate and the end of the Idlib governorate borders back and forth.
The Ministry also linked the transport directorates together and moved to the concept of a single transportation directorate through the central vehicle program. Fees were paid for all vehicle transactions through the electronic payment mechanism and the launch of the vehicle license renewal service online, targeting 500,000 vehicles as a first stage, while access centers were created in the transport directorates in the regions The countryside has reached 23 sub-circles of transport, which are also electronically connected to the network.
Law 16 of 2021 was issued allowing small and medium vehicles registered in the special category (10 passengers and less) to operate by transporting passengers through the electronic application system and regulating this service within its proper legal framework.
The private sector was involved in licensing vehicle technical inspection centers to ease citizens' movements, conducting technical examination of agricultural and heavy machinery belonging to farmers in their villages, towns and agricultural associations, and easing burdens on owners of locally manufactured bicycles by examining them in the manufacturer without the need to bring them to the transport directorates.
In mid-September, the ministry completed the work of driving education centers in all governorates, where it completed through electronic payment (1 million and 728 thousand and 977) transactions, while the total amounts collected from the beginning of its launch in May 2020 until today are approximately 151 billion pounds.
Ghassoub Abboud and Mahran Mualla
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