New taxi regulation restricts drivers to their home regions

Drivers will now only be allowed to operate in the region where their vehicle is registered, following a new resolution adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers. The regulation stipulates that taxis can only work in the region indicated by their license plate or in an adjacent region.

This means, for instance, that cars bearing license plate number 80 may only operate in the Bukhara region, while vehicles with license plate number 70 are restricted to Kashkadarya.

The resolution has triggered a wave of public criticism, with many calling it “nonsense” and “ill-conceived.”

Lawyer Khushnudbek Khudoyberdiev, commenting on the regulation, stated that the decision was made behind closed doors.

“We have been warning about the possibility of such a move for a year. Unfortunately, the authorities have quietly pushed through this foolish idea,” he wrote.

Khudoyberdiev warned that the decision would lead to higher taxi fares in Tashkent and push many drivers into the informal sector.

“This will not ease traffic congestion in Tashkent, as officials claim. Not everyone will return to their regions—what if there is no work? Those who believe otherwise are either deluded or think others are. Most importantly, I congratulate everyone on the official return of the 'propiska' system! A regime we once considered abolished in the spirit of New Uzbekistan has quietly returned—at least for taxi drivers. Even though it contradicts the Constitution, they still went ahead with it,” he added.

Economist Behzod Khoshimov also criticized the measure, arguing that it misunderstands the nature of the traffic issue in the capital.

“If the goal is to reduce traffic in Tashkent, this is not the way. The issue is demand, not supply. Tashkent’s roads are crowded because people need transportation. Real solutions include paid parking, better public transport, and possibly congestion charges. Limiting taxis by region only addresses supply. Similar restrictions in a South American country only led to a doubling of car numbers as people found ways around the rule. This too will be circumvented, legal rights will be violated, trust in the law will erode, and taxis won’t disappear,” he wrote.

Economist Otabek Bakirov added that the policy appeared rushed and lacked transparency.

“The decision wasn’t discussed publicly, nor was it explained. Its consequences weren’t considered. You can imagine who lobbied for a measure that has angered tens of thousands of people,” Bakirov noted.

In general, the sudden implementation of the policy has sparked a significant backlash. Many fear that drivers who had come to Tashkent to earn a living will now abandon their cars and seek work abroad, including in Russia, where working conditions for migrants remain harsh.