The 24th ‘Transport and Roads of Siberia. Special Equipment’ exhibition was opened in Sibexpocentre

On April 17 in Sibexpocentre the solemn opening ceremony of the 24th specialised ‘Transport and Roads of Siberia. Special Equipment’ exhibition took place. Guests and participants of the event were greeted by Svetlana Svirkina, Minister of Construction, Road Economy of Irkutsk Region. She noted that 2017 became the productive period for the road industry of the region:

— We constructed more than 52 kilometers of roads, repaired more than 80 kilometers of roads. A lot of work with municipal entities was carried out. The unprecedented volume of subsidies – 2,2 billion rubles was allocated to them. Besides, we continue to actively engage in rural roads. Two large projects were introduced: the Taishet — Chuna — Bratsk road which reduced the distance by 250 kilometers between the central part and northern territories of the region, and the second project — reconstruction of the Baikal tract to 21 kilometers, demonstrating the European quality of roads.   

Svetlana Svirkina also said that the construction does not end here, and this year roads will be put into operation, work on which is conducted for several years, for example, such projects as the Irkutsk - Bolshoe Goloustnoe road. Also this year the Ustilimsk-Bratsk road will continue to be renovated, the large northern Kirensk-Kazachenskoe road will be constructed, which will connect Kirensk with the road network.

Sergey Ten, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Member of the State Duma Committee on Transport and Construction, President of the Digital Age of Transport Association performed during the opening ceremony. He started by saying that today there are many issues that need to be discussed by the professional community of the road and transport industry within the business programme of the exhibition:

— Roads and transport exist, first of all, for people therefore alongside with achievements it is necessary to discuss current problems. So, 236 settlements of Irkutsk Region are still not provided with round-bottomed communication with the main road network, year by year the Federal Law on taxi is not accepted, and there is a lot of such questions. But, certainly, there is also progress. The Irkutsk agglomeration develops, the work on the presidential ‘Safe and Qualitative Roads’ project is held. More than 70% of federal roads on the territory of Irkutsk Region are brought to the normative state, and this work is continued. Also we will discuss the development of intellectual transport systems, application of blockchain technologies in transport at the exhibition, issues related to the development of driverless transport both in our country and in Siberia. In a word, there are a lot of topics for discussion.

Then guests and participants of the exhibition were addressed by Igor Astakhov, Deputy Head of Rosavtodor Federal Road Agency:

— In the message to the Federal Assembly on March 1 the President of Russia said that in the next six years it is necessary to double the amount of funds which are allocated for roads. And there is really a need. If 78% of federal network of roads meet the statutory requirements, then we are obliged to raise regional and especially municipal network of roads to the same level.    

Besides, Igor Astakhov elaborated the priority federal ‘Safe and Qualitative Roads’ project which successfully is implemented for the second year in Russia and following the results of 2017 is recognized as the most effective among 11 priority projects. 36 territorial subjects of the Russian Federation, 38 cities agglomerations, including the Irkutsk agglomeration which includes Irkutsk, Shelekhov and Angarsk take part in it. Total amount of this project for 2017-2018 is more than 60 billion rubles.  

Mr. Cao Yunlun, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Irkutsk told at the opening ceremony about the key indicators of road and transport branch of China, and also noted that, having high rates of scientific and technological progress, a powerful material base, a large reserve of highly skilled specialists, China is always open to cooperation:

— In 2017 leaders of our two countries signed a joint statement on cooperation in combining the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Economic Belt of the Silk Road during implementation of which the interrelation of transport and infrastructure is the priority direction. Regions of Eastern Siberia maintain last trade and economic relations with regions of China and are the optimum platform for realisation of a set of projects within implementation of joining of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Economic belt of the Silk Road.

Igor Starygin, Director General of RADOR Association at his speech drew attention to the fact that more than 40 thousand settlements of the Russian Federation have no access to hard-top roads. And although the task of doubling of the amount of funds was set a few years ago, unfortunately not all territorial subjects of the Russian Federation in today's conditions can successfully solve it. This, in turn, is one of the directions for the further development of the industry. At the end of speech Igor Starygin wished to all participants of the business programme an active work and achievements in the development of roads.  

Andrei Shapovalov, Director General of Sibexpocentre OJSC finished the opening ceremony:

— At this exhibition, as probably at any other, there is a huge number of serious co-organisers together with whom we make this project every year. They are the co-organisers of the federal level and State Duma Committee. An invaluable contribution is made by the Government of Irkutsk Region, Ministry of Construction, without them we could not raise the level of the event annually. Many thanks to all who together with us make this remarkable project and let me announce the exhibition open. 

Then the officials took part in the media scrum, got acquainted with the exposition, and also took part in the business programme of the event. The programme began by one of the key events of the exhibition - scientific and practical ‘Prospects of the integrated development of the transport infrastructure of Irkutsk Region. Implementation of new projects’ conference, where the participants discussed the situation in the transport branch, both at the federal and regional levels, trends of transport and transport infrastructure development in the region, problems of the industry and ways of their decision. The closing event of the first day was the ‘Development of intelligent transport systems in the subjects of the Russian Federation’ round table.

Let us remind that the ‘Transport and Roads of Siberia. Special Equipment’ exhibition will work till April 20 inclusive. Visitors are waited by the interesting business programme, ‘Bogatyr Baikala’ tournament on power extreme for men, presentation of participants of the exhibition. It is possible to study the programme of the event on the page of the exhibition in more detail.

Marketing and
Public Relations Department of 

Sibexpocentre OJSC