"Why are you mocking people?!" Lukashenko advocates for a comfortable and safe alternative to minibuses
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has instructed to resolve the issue of queues for minibuses during peak hours, including by attracting additional vehicles to popular routes, including electric transport. The head of state announced this at a meeting on the results of the Belarusian NPP operation, increased electricity consumption, and proposals for the construction of new nuclear capacities, a BELTA correspondent reports.
The President noted that electric transport is developing in Belarus, and not only in large cities. "Pilot projects for converting public transport to electric have been implemented in Shklov, Zhodino, and Novopolotsk. In total, more than 44,000 electric vehicles are currently operated in the country, and there are over 1,870 charging stations," the head of state cited the data.
In this regard, it is surprising why there is a shortage of public transport in suburban and intercity services, the President remarked. This issue, according to him, is raised by people, including on social media. "People are offended: they stand, especially during peak hours, for 150 meters, as they write, in queues to squeeze into these stinking minibuses," Alexander Lukashenko said. "Listen, why are you mocking people?!" "Can't we replace these minibuses with buses, Alexander Gennadievich?" the President remarked, addressing Prime Minister Alexander Turchin. "We need to introduce not only buses with internal combustion engines but also electric buses. And let them run. People will gladly travel. It's comfortable, they breathe fresh air in this bus, they don't sit there (as in minibuses. - BELTA note) squeezed together." According to the President, this would also be a safer mode of transport: "Well, we might lose 2-3 minutes, but we will be alive and well."