Although nearly a week has passed since Saleh Mammadov was dismissed from his position as Chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads (AAYDA), discussions regarding him continue.
He was appointed to the leadership of AAYDA in 2015. Over the past 10 years, the activities of Saleh Mammadov, who led the State Agency, have always sparked controversy; in other words, there has not been an unambiguous attitude towards his work.
For instance, some critics of the former chairman were dissatisfied with his appointment of relatives to various positions within the State Agency. Initially, his relative by marriage, Aflatun Gasimov, who was first appointed as the head of the Main Department for Operation and Repair of Automobile Roads and later promoted to the post of advisor to the chairman, was cited as a clear example of this.
The neglect of roads in need of repair and reconstruction, questionable aspects in the expenditure of budget funds allocated for the development of road infrastructure, and tender scandals were frequently brought to public attention.
It is interesting to consider how Saleh Mammadov, who led a strategic institution like the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, will be remembered against this backdrop.
The Modern.az website sought answers to this question from several prominent individuals.
Chairman of the Modern Musavat Party, Hafiz Hajiyev, did not wish to express a critical opinion about Saleh Mammadov's activities. According to him, the construction of road infrastructure, as well as projects implemented in the Karabakh region, are challenging tasks:
“I myself have traveled to foreign countries many times and have become closely acquainted with the automobile road infrastructure there. Regarding the allegations of corruption, even if such instances existed, the main focus should be on the results of the work done, as well as on the development of road infrastructure. Corrupt activities are a common problem in most cases and are not limited to this sector alone,” he noted.
However, Natig Jafarli, chairman of the REAL Party and an economist, believes that the issue is not about evaluating specific individuals, but rather the activities of the institution and institutions in general:
“If there were no problems in that institution, no dissatisfactions arose, and no articles were periodically published in the media against the backdrop of these problems, it is likely that Saleh Mammadov would not have been dismissed from his post. Saleh Mammadov's dismissal indicates that certain shortcomings existed in the activities of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads.
From this perspective, the main focus should not be on the individual, but on the analysis of the institution's activities to prevent these problems from recurring in the future. The institution's activities should be more transparent, tenders should be conducted openly and clearly, funds spent during procurements should be accessible to the public, and excessive expenditures should not be permitted.”
The economist added that elements of corruption must be completely eliminated within the scope of activities:
“As for evaluating an individual's activities, this is the responsibility of the relevant authorized bodies. If inspections are conducted and any violations are discovered as a result of these inspections, it is possible that additional legal or administrative measures may be taken regarding his activities in the future.
If such an investigation is not conducted, this can simply be regarded as a conclusion that he did not fulfill his official duties at the required level.”
Transport expert Rauf Aghamirzayev also noted that to evaluate any road infrastructure, attention should be paid not to a specific individual, but to the changes occurring in the overall system:
"Azerbaijan's road sector has undergone significant development over the past 26 years. Institutions have changed, names and subordinations have been updated. Particularly in the last 8 years, the country has experienced a serious stage of development, which is clearly visible in the field of automobile roads.
Considering Azerbaijan's strategic geographical position, work on the automobile road segment along the North-South and East-West transport corridors has been almost completed. In the liberated Karabakh and East Zangazur, road infrastructure projects of unprecedented scale in the history of independence have been implemented over the past five years. It can be noted that previously, there were practically no automobile road tunnels in the country. However, over the last 5 years, tunnel construction with a total length of approximately 71 kilometers has been carried out. Currently, more than 3,000 kilometers of road works are being implemented within the framework of 45 road projects. Some of these projects have already been completed, while others are ongoing.
Automobile roads can be conditionally divided into three main stages: quality construction, strict dimension control, and competent and proper operation. Certain results have been achieved in the first two directions, and these can be considered satisfactory. However, there are significant gaps in the area of operation.”
The expert also emphasized that another important point is the issue of communication with the public:
“Unfortunately, communication with society has not been at the desired level over these years. I believe that in the coming years, the new leadership should pay special attention to this issue. Information on the institution's official website should be regularly updated with the same content in various languages. Currently, language selection is available, but there is no information update.
Overall, although the automobile road network has expanded, when we look at road classification, we see that the last update was carried out three years ago. Organizing regular public discussions with society is important. While this practice exists in other state institutions, we did not observe it in the road infrastructure sector.
Today, communication holds particular importance. The state implements large projects, but it is crucial to convey this work to society correctly and timely, as well as to receive feedback from society. Furthermore, although modern technologies are applied, their presentation at the required level is weak. Society should know what technologies and standards are used to build roads in Azerbaijan.”
R. Aghamirzayev also drew attention to the possibility of misconceptions forming in society if information is not presented effectively and creatively:
“In such cases, an inferiority complex like “we can't do it” arises, and excessive preference is given to foreign specialists. However, Azerbaijani engineers have done very significant and professional work in recent years. There are simply gaps in presentation and explanation mechanisms, and this issue has not received due attention over the years.”
The expert stated that in some projects, urban streets, which should have been multifunctional, were actually transformed into high-speed automobile roads, and the resulting consequences were not taken into account:
“This issue should be reconsidered by the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads. The concept of a multifunctional street requires the construction of appropriate infrastructure, taking into account the needs of different road users - pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport - as well as the organization of accessible and safe crossings.
This also indicates a serious need for regular training. Engineers building infrastructure should deeply understand what risks are created by the absence of any particular element.”
R. Aghamirzayev also spoke about the construction of highways, as well as the proper organization of traffic without entering residential areas:
“Overall, highways have been built, but it would be better if special attention were paid to the issue of organizing traffic without entering residential areas. This approach exists in certain directions, but in some cases, roads pass through residential areas, which creates additional risks.
Another important point concerns the organization of service roads during the construction period. Projects may be delayed for various reasons, but people living in the surrounding areas should experience this process at a minimum level. Quality and safe service roads that ensure their daily connectivity must be in place.”
