Conceptual design for establishing tram in the public transport in Skopje

Abstract

Skopje is capital of Rep. of Macedonian with more than half million residents and the region of Skopje include more than six hundred thousand inhabitants. The demographic and socio- economic characteristics of this region require a good-quality and well-organized public transport systems that will accommodate a growing traffic demand and meet the criteria and objectives of sustainable urban development. The existing public transport in Skopje takes place only by buses managed by three operators. One of them is the property of City of Skopje, and two other represent associations of private bus companies operating smaller part of public transport. From an environmental sustainability point of view the City of Skopje and its surroundings is in a very vulnerable position considering its inland location surrounded by mountain ridges and strong seismic activities. Seasonal variations in climate and inversion phenomena reinforce the pollution from not always up to standard industrial emissions and an increasing traffic volume contributes heavily thereto. The socio-economic characteristics of the area are also typical for an urban area in transition with strong in-migration and daily commuting to jobs or for job seeking. All these specifics require introduction of a new environmentally sustainable public transport system in the city like a tramway (or light rail system). This paper provides a comprehensive elaboration of conceptual design of tram infrastructure solutions in Skopje in several phases and alternatives for future development of this public transport system.