๐ Tender Overview
Project Name
Ulaanbaatar Transport Improvement Project 1
Project Number
55279-001
Country / Economy
Mongolia
Project Status
Proposed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Grant
Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Grant: Ulaanbaatar Transport Improvement Project 1
Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific Grant Trust Fund US$ 500,000.00
Loan: Ulaanbaatar Transport Improvement Project 1
Ordinary capital resources US$ 60.00 million
Sector / Subsector
Transport / Urban public transport
Gender
Description
The project aims to improve urban mobility in Ulaanbaatar,10 increasing the use of public transport through the quality improvement of public transport along a selected corridor.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, had a population of 1.7 million in 2023, accounting for about half of the country's total of 3.5 million, and 70% of the urban population. The city also concentrates economic activity contributing around 63% of gross domestic product (in 2022). However, the city's continued growth presents challenges. The city's population is projected to reach almost 2 million by 2035, outpacing national population growth. Infrastructure investments have lagged behind population growth, resulting in inefficient systems that are incapable of meeting present needs and anticipated growth. In 2020, 22% of households lived in ger areas with limited services.
In addition to the steep rise in Ulaanbaatar's population, vehicle registration increased by 13.4 times from 2000 to 2019 while the urban road network expanded only 3.3 times. The city's public transport includes 18 bus companies operating on 111 routes, but quality and coverage are mixed. The poor state of public transport has encouraged the use of private vehicles and informal taxi services, resulting in a highly congested and polluting transport system. The urban road network has deteriorated because of high traffic volume, funding gaps in maintenance, and flooding. These factors, combined with inadequate land use planning and lack of enforcement of zoning regulations, poor traffic engineering design, and disregard for traffic laws, contribute to heavy traffic congestion and long travel times.
The Government of Mongolia (GOM) has requested the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help finance the development of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, to improve the quality of and increase the demand for public transport in Ulaanbaatar and curb the increasing demand for the use of private vehicles.
Impact
Urban mobility in Ulaanbaatar improved (Vision 2050: Long-Term Development Policy
of Mongolia)
Outcome
Public transport services improved.
Outputs
A climate-resilient bus rapid transit corridor and associated facilities constructed in Ulaanbaatar.
Effective project management and sustainable bus rapid transit operations established.
Geographical Location
Ulaanbaatar
