Today, transport topics are becoming the object of close and concerned attention from the expert community. The position of Turkmenistan in the field of global transport cooperation is based on the need to promote its systemic and target-oriented character, advance the discussion of these issues from the regional platform to the level of the main international platform - the United Nations.

In this regard, Turkmenistan believes that the trade, economic and investment cooperation between the Central Asian countries should acquire a strategic trend, more exactly, turn into one of the foundations for the formation of a new geo-economic landscape of Eurasia.

Therefore, guided by its own and regional interests, Turkmenistan more than ten years ago launched the activity to shape an appropriate infrastructural logistics base, which could in the future contribute to the expansion of transport and transit opportunities for both the country and the region as a whole.

One of the first projects carried out in this regard was the commissioning of the new Ashgabat International Passenger Motor Terminal. The project was completed by the Turkmen construction company “Muhammet-Balkan”.

The building of the bus station is located in the northern part of Ashgabat, along the Ashgabat-Dashoguz highway. It serves 2000 passengers a day. The terminal has 324 platforms. There are departures and arrivals to and from almost all cities of Turkmenistan.

Inside the terminal there is a waiting room with cash desks for passengers, air and railway ticket offices, a currency exchange office, a post office, an Internet cafe, a restaurant, mini markets, a mother and child room, a first-aid post, a pharmacy, a left-luggage office, and a small cinema hall.

The terminal infrastructure includes a fire station, a modern vehicles wash for buses, and various service departments. A mini-park with a fountain is a decoration of the bus station. Near the bus station there is a hotel “Silk Road” for 50 visitors, an administrative building, technical blocks, bus stops, a service building and a bus wash. A video control system, a security system and a baggage screening service are operated for enhanced security and convenience of passengers. The area of the covered vehicle park next to the bus station is 1 280 sq. m.

A little later, new transport infrastructure facilities were put into operation such as passenger bus stations in the Balkan, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary Velayats.

Bus stations in Balkanabat, Dashoguz, Turkmenabat and Mary were built by order of “Balkanawtoulag”, “Daşoguzawtoulag”, “Lebapawtoulag” and “Maryawtoulag” PAs of the “Türkmenawtoulaglary” Agency of the Transport and Communications Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers.

The total area of each of the facilities is 30 thousand square meters. They are designed to serve 700 passengers a day and provide high-quality services to bus passengers on urban, suburban and intercity routes.

Open and covered parking areas of 2 thousand 150 and 2 thousand 100 square meters can accommodate 100 and 112 vehicles, respectively.

Each of the terminals has a near-station ground, a parking lot for arriving international and intercity buses, as well as an area for regular city buses and taxis.

The main facilities consist of two-story buildings that combine modern architectural trends and national features. The roofs of the buildings, made in the shape of an eight-pointed star, are decorated with carpet ornaments characteristic for each of the regions.

The images of the unique historical monuments of the velayats add special beauty to the main entrances to the bus stations, and the upper part of the building from the inside is decorated with illuminated images resembling olive branches.

Inside the main buildings there is a multimedia screen for electronic online tickets, and the information LED monitors of various sizes. Passengers will have an opportunity to get any information they need concerning the schedule of intercity and international trips, the tickets available, their price and other information.

In addition, on the first floor of the vehicle terminals there is a waiting room for 140 passengers, a ticket office, including air and railway tickets, a cloakroom, a luggage storage room, and various utility premises. Passengers are offered services of a pharmacy, a first-aid post, communications and shops.

On the second floor of the main building of the bus stations there is a hall for mother and child, a beauty parlor, a cafe, etc. It also has a children’s playground and shops.

The builders and operators were awarded quality certificates confirming the full operational compliance of the passenger terminals in Balkanabat, Dashoguz, Turkmenabat and Mary with the requirements for transportation by buses and taxis, as well as services provided to the population in movement established by the NVA.

The commissioning of new passenger bus stations has become a striking illustration that the formation of a modern transport system is among the priorities of the strategy for socio-economic development of Turkmenistan.

Today, development of the transport sector is one of the important provisions in the economic strategy of Turkmenistan. The “Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State: The National Program for Socio-Economic Development of Turkmenistan in 2022-2052”, the “Program of the President of Turkmenistan on Socio-Economic Development of the Country for 2022-2028”, the “National Program of the President of Turkmenistan for the Transformation of Social and Living Conditions of the Population of Villages, Towns, Etrap Cities and Etrap Centers for the Period Until 2028” were adopted.

As part of the above, large-scale work is underway to modernize the transport sector in accordance with international standards, and bus stations are being built.

Along with this, practical steps are taken to strengthen the material and technical resources of the industry, innovative technologies are introduced into the activities of specialized services. To date, this sector is equipped with modern vehicles from the world’s leading manufacturers such as “Toyota”, “Hyundai Universe Luxury”, “Hyundai Universe Noble”, “Hyundai Super Aero City”, “Yutong ZK6129H”, “PAZ-32054”, which are operated on intracity and intercity routes.

In addition, 1000 “Toyota Coaster” middle-class buses and 250 “Toyota Hiace” minibuses were purchased. 150 “Toyota Corolla” taxi cars were added to the technical fleet of the “Türkmenawtoulaglary” Agency.

In general, the replenishment of the passenger transport fleet, as well as the construction of new bus stations, contribute to improving the quality of services provided to the population.

Turkmenistan is convinced that the transport architecture of the 21st century is the architecture of an integration breakthrough, the connection of spaces, regions, industrial, resource and human capacities.