TURKMENISTAN: PUBLIC LOSING PATIENCE WITH FREQUENT ROAD

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001258

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: PUBLIC LOSING PATIENCE WITH FREQUENT ROAD
CLOSURES


1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Internet distribution


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Road closures in Ashgabat to provide security for
the president and his VIP foreign guests have become a frequent
practice. While VIP visitors no doubt appreciate the gesture,
locals are becoming increasingly irritated by road closures that
cause traffic jams, car accidents, stress and late arrival to
destinations. Neither police nor city officials provide advance
notice to the public about closures or detours. The increasing
number of vehicles on Ashgabat's underdeveloped road network worsens
the problem, as well as does reconstruction of roads in the vicinity
of the expanding presidential palace. The issue will continue to
generate dissatisfaction among the public until authorities take
action to address the problem. END SUMMARY.

ROAD CLOSED ... OFTEN



3. (SBU) Traffic police frequently close roads in Ashgabat not only
for construction or repair work, but to ensure the security of the
president and his VIP guests while traveling in the city. While in
recent years, an increasing number of cars has made traffic a
headache, closure of roads for movement of VIPs turns the available
streets into traffic chaos. At such moments, the few remaining
traffic arteries become totally jammed, with drivers forced to sit
in traffic and drive far out of their way to reach their
destinations.

SAFETY OF PRESIDENTIAL MOVEMENT


4. (SBU) At the beginning of his presidency, Berdimuhamedov, highly
concerned about his security, ordered the routes of his movement
"sanitized" of people and vehicles. According to an Ashgabat
resident who lives in a high-rise apartment building along one of
the president's frequent routes, "When the president's cortege is to
drive by our street, Ministry of National Security officers give
residents of our building short notice not to open windows until
well after the cortege has passed." The sealing off of roads also
happens when the president uses the airport and during the
inauguration of construction projects, at which the president is
always the guest of honor. According to an Ashgabat resident, "When
the new textile factory near the airport was inaugurated, I almost
missed my flight to Moscow because the traffic police closed all the
roads in that area," due to the president attending the ceremony.

WELCOME TO ASHGABAT


5. (SBU) Road closures happen more often nowadays because Ashgabat
hosts more high level delegations. For instance, over the past
three weeks, four presidents visited the country. Turkmen
authorities, trying to pamper foreign guests by providing traffic
free roads, irritate their own public. The first problem of this
kind in Ashgabat occurred when Afghan President Karzai visited the
country. The high security measures taken for this official created
a mess in the city. The most recent traffic chaos was caused when
roads were closed during Ukrainian President Yushchenko's visit.
During one such road closure, when a taxi driver was asked the
reason for the traffic jam, he said "I guess Yashuly ("the Elder"
meaning the president) is going somewhere or a foreign guest is in
town."

AUTHORITIES' INACTION


6. (SBU) Neither police nor city officials inform the public in
advance about the supposed movement of VIP motorcades. Even
pedestrians become victims of road closures because they are not
allowed to move along the closed streets. As a result, many
Ashgabat residents are late to work, and massive traffic jams occur
on the available streets, sometimes causing car accidents. One
recent example was the September 1 inauguration of the Institute of
Transport and Communications that was attended by the country's
leadership. It resulted in massive traffic jams and delays to
offices and schools, as well as stress, anger and grumpiness among

many people. Since the Institute is located near the Embassy, most
Embassy employees arrived to work at least 30 minutes late, leaving
their cars parked far from the Embassy and picking them up later
when the roads opened. One FSN said "If I knew I would be trapped
in such a mess, I would have come by taxi to save my time and my
car."

HISTORY OF ROAD CLOSURE


7. (SBU) The practice of road closures is not new to Ashgabat. They
started during President Niyazov's regime. Niyazov would himself
drive his official Mercedes and traffic police would block the roads
along his route to ensure his security and unimpeded movement.
However, before the alleged assassination attempt in November 2002,
the road closures applied only to cars, not to pedestrians. During
Berdimuhamedov's presidency, the road closures have become a more
frequent practice and cover longer time periods and geographical
distances.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: The problem of road closures and resulting traffic
hassles will continue until municipal authorities find a way to
solve the problem by improving road infrastructure. It seems that
the government has realized the problem, if the recent visit by
Saint Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko is any indication.
During her visit, Berdimuhamedov approved a contract with a Russian
firm for design and construction of seven new roads, together with
overpasses and bridges. Its planned completion in May 2012 won't be
a moment too soon for Ashgabat drivers. END COMMENT.

CURRAN