KIKINDA – NAKOVO
Official project name: Improvement of Banat Connectivity
The project is supported by the PE "Roads of Serbia", and the partners from the Serbian side are the City of Kikinda and the Regional Center for Socio-Economic Development Banat from Zrenjanin, and on the Romanian side of the municipalities of Jimbolia
Total value of the project is 2,291,208.96 €
PE "Roads of Serbia": development of project technical documentation for rehabilitation and construction of a bicycle route on the IB state road Number 15 in the Kikinda and Kikinda - Nakovo section, as well as the construction of a cycling track on the section Kikinda - Nakovo. It is envisaged that the cycling track will be built starting from Kikinda and ending at the border crossing with Romania in Nakov
Our part is 872,883.42 €
Project duration – 24 - months
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT - Achieving better living conditions in cross border area is of crucial importance. At the moment, incompatibility of the technical characteristics and the poor capacity of the transport infrastructure in the neighbouring countries are the main obstacles for improved living conditions and improved quality transport of goods and people.
The project includes two cross-border areas, North Banat County on Serbian side, and Timis County on Romanian, characterized by common cultural and historical heritage, traditional good-neighbourly relations and cooperation, but having certain differences in economic circumstances. Generally, transport sector is an important component of the economy impacting on development and the welfare of population. When transport systems are efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities and benefits that result in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, job opportunities, they enable saving the time and costs, and bring additional investments. When transport systems are deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, they can have an economic cost such as reduced or missed opportunities. Transport also carries an important social and environmental load, which cannot be neglected.
Unfortunately, existing transport and mobility service infrastructure, does not meet the needs of the population and the business sector in the region, for several reasons. Primarily because of inappropriate conditions on the border crossing Nakovo – Lunga, that is open only 12 hours a day, and does not fulfil the conditions for transfer of busses and trucks with axle loads over 3.5 tonnes; then, because the access roads leading to the border crossing and major transport corridors do not meet the standards in the field of transport. These restrictions represent a major obstacle for improved living conditions and better quality of transport of goods and people.
The project consortium is composed of four partners (Public Enterprise "Roads of Serbia", Municipality of Kikinda, Municipality of Jimbolia and Regional Agency for Socio-Economic Development Banat), that have gathered around a common idea that investing in quality standard in public transport and mobility services could overcome the common challenges of cross-border region. As the transport and border crossing infrastructure are recognized as a main basis for local and regional economic development, project partners are considered as agents for promotion of inter-regional exchange and balanced regional development which foster high-employment economy and deliver social and territorial cohesion.
In this sense, the IBC project foresees the realization of four major groups of activities, by whose implementation we want to contribute to achieving overall objective of the project “Contribution to connectivity in eligible area across the border, through the improvement of quality standards in public transport and mobility services”:
Investment: This work package is the core of the project and includes the most important activities that will strongly contribute to the achievement of project objectives, as well as objectives of the programme. Activities that will be implemented in the framework of this work package will produce the following outputs:
- Prepared Technical documentationfortheconstructionofthebicycle pathonIB-15stateroadin theareaofthe sectionKikinda –Nakovo - LB
- Prepared Technical documentation forrehabilitation of the streets adjacent to national road 59C in Jimbolia – P2
- Constructed two-waybicycle pathson the rightside ofthe state road 15I-Bsection:Kikinda Nakovo(state borderwith Romania) - LB
- Installed necessary contentsat the border crossingNakovo – P3
- Rehabilitated streets adjacent to the national road 59C in Jimbolia – P2
Implementation: Activities under this work package should contribute to a better utilization of the improved cross-border infrastructure and border crossing services (equipped border crossing, constructed bicycle path and rehabilitated local roads). Outputs that will be achieved in the framework of this work package are:
- Created Cross-border cooperation network
- Established Information and promotion office of cross-border economic cooperation
- Set up Cross-border cooperation web portal
- Participants acquire knowledge about the new possibilities for improvement of cross-border economic cooperation at cross-border events (Cross-border cooperation event in Serbia and round table in Romania)
Communication: The activities in this work package are planned to ensure permanent communication internally (inside the project team), as well as extarnaly with target groups and general public, inform them about the project activities aimed at overcoming common issues related to the connectivity of the region, as well as involve them in the project. The main result that arises from the activity are:
- Adopted Project Communication Plan
- Held Promotional conferences
- Realized Media Campaign
- Prepared and disseminated informative and promotional material
Management: This work package envisages coordination of all activities, with the purpose of establishment and functionality of the project team. A well-organized project team will ensure the achievement of planned results and indicators, in compliance with the approved budget and period of implementation. The indicator of the success of this work package will be successfully implemented project, and the main outputs are:
- Established Project Team and Joint Steering Committee
- Adopted Action Plan
- Realized procurement procedures
- Approved Final report
All the aforementioned project outputs are aimed at meeting the needs of the target groups of the project, which will be equally accessible to them. Also, all target groups will be beneficiaries of created project outputs and results in the future. Project target groups are:
- Local Governments in the North Banat County and Timis County and relevant regional and national institutions and bodies
- Inhabitants of cross border area
- SME's and business support organizations on both sides of the border
- NGO-s and associations in cross border area
Former experience in the framework of EU enlargement demonstrates that improved rural / regional access and links to the arterial network, particularly among peripheral regions, are necessary for economic and social cohesion and the alleviation of regional disparities. This cross-border cooperation is aimed at stimulating and supporting the development of the region, its internal, as well as external connectivity between border regions and international communities, which is something that is of joint interest of both sides. As indicated, the IBC project will create new opportunities in the cross-border region and improve the connectivity between the two nations and two states. We are planning to accomplish this through achieving following project results:
- Improved qualitystandardsin publictransportandmobilityservices
- Established structures and conditions for stronger cooperation and contact between cross-border regions and communities
- Raisedawarenessof target groupsand the general publicabout the newpossibilities of cooperation, createdby improvingqualitystandardsin publictransportandmobilityservices
IBC project is designed to overcome present obstacles of the cross-border area, and to contribute to the better connectivity of the region, both internally and externally, as it was outlined in the border area situation analysis within programme strategy Romania - Serbia. Focus of project activities is on further development of integrated and appropriate local transport connections, in terms of safety and economic viability, including local road transport improvement in the border area which will contribute to the future economic development and quality of life for the communities within mentioned area. Dealing with the key challenges identified in the regions’ situation analysis, the project will contribute to minimizing common vision of a border region as “region without borders”. Moreover, “IBC” project promotes better cooperation and mobility between regions and countries, thus contributing to the programme strategy and priority objectives.