During the discussion of the general plan, Bekeshev emphasized that the developers do not plan to radically change the city's transport model and intend to focus on the development of public transport. They believe that constructing a metro in Bishkek is impractical due to high costs, the complexity of the work, and a lack of experience, which would require the involvement of foreign specialists. The deputy generally agreed with this viewpoint.
However, as Bekeshev pointed out, issues related to individual mobility, such as the use of scooters and bicycles, remain insufficiently addressed. He stressed the need to allocate separate lanes for these vehicles to avoid an increase in traffic accidents and injuries due to the shared use of infrastructure with cars and pedestrians. According to him, the developers of the general plan are ready to revisit this topic at the detailed planning stage.
The deputy also expressed concern about greening in the city. He pointed out that the southern part of Bishkek is almost completely built up, and there are virtually no free areas for creating green zones. According to Bekeshev, after zoning, the task of finding suitable areas for greening falls on the city authorities.
Skeptically assessing the chances of solving the problem of insufficient greenery in the coming decades, Bekeshev noted that even with legislative protective norms in place, there is a risk that the interests of the construction business and officials may undermine these efforts.
Discussing the issue of smog, the deputy noted that the developers of the general plan associate this problem with the energy sector. They stated that wind roses were taken into account during the design; however, Bekeshev expressed doubt that these calculations would be effective in the densely built southern part of the city, which may hinder natural ventilation.
In conclusion, Bekeshev reminded that the previous general plan for Bishkek, adopted in 2006 and still in effect, was also not fully implemented, which raises doubts about the effectiveness of the new document.
