The mayor of Irkutsk answered journalists questions for two hours about the citys most urgent problems, building kindergartens and schools, road repairs, transport and urban improvement. He spoke about plans for integrated development, expanding the municipal bus fleet and tightening control over private carriers. He also stressed that improving life in the city is possible only with active participation of Irkutsk residents and the constant work of all city services.

For two hours, the city mayor answered questions from journalists. The construction of kindergartens and schools, road repairs, the development of the public transport system, integrated development of territories, improvement of the private sector, and order on city streets are the main issues for city residents.
The city head noted how important the role of the media is in the work of the city authorities: “The issues you raise with us are the most acute, the most painful, what concerns city residents first and foremost. And these are priority tasks for all departments of the administration. In this way, you help us in our work.”
The city mayor emphasized that work to improve the quality of life of Irkutsk residents must be carried out systematically and immediately in all directions. In particular, the administration continues the construction of kindergartens – this year 2 new kindergartens, 4 extensions, 2 buildings will be returned to municipal management, and 3 preschool institutions will be bought from developers. This year, construction of two new schools is also beginning. The issue of a shortage of educational institutions is also linked to the topic of infill development in Irkutsk.
As Dmitry Berdnikov emphasized, infill development is not only an inconvenience, but also a whole range of pressing issues. These are the shortage of clinics, kindergartens, schools, sports grounds, parks, transport — all of this falls on the shoulders of the city authorities, while the developer simply makes a profit. We will develop integrated construction in the city of Irkutsk. In particular, as for the development of built-up areas, investors will be required to also build infrastructure facilities when implementing their projects.
Special attention in the conversation was also paid to the transport issue. Journalists conveyed to the city head the residents’ request to increase the municipal transport fleet. Currently, within the framework of public-private partnership, the possibility of purchasing 2 buses for transporting people with disabilities and 5 passenger buses in cooperation with the regional Government is being worked out. In addition, in the longer term, a project to purchase 100 large-capacity buses is being considered.
“Serious work is also being carried out with private carriers. We are now actively concluding contracts with them for servicing city routes. In addition, for the first time, the practice of towing technically faulty buses has been introduced. All this contributes to improving the overall condition of passenger transport in our city,” the city head commented.
Dmitry Berdnikov especially noted that field visits in response to citizens’ and deputies’ appeals will continue constantly: “In fact, this is a process that disciplines all city services, forcing them to remain in full readiness. Which, in essence, is what they should be doing.” However, the city head also called on residents to be active. For the most effective work of the city administration, it is necessary that the city be cared about, first and foremost, by the Irkutsk residents themselves.