Who was given exclusive rights to handle Ministry of Internal Affairs fines?

Yuldashev announced that starting from April 14, information on fines and other services will be accessible through the new Safe Road application.

Following this announcement, the administration of the Road24 app shared a post on its official Telegram page, criticizing the change. According to the post, the newly introduced application was essentially a copy of Road24.

The original version of the post directly addressed the Road Traffic Safety Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but that portion was later edited out.

“Yes. As for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, instead of acting as a state institution and offering equal opportunities to all, the one with stronger connections prevailed. The old ways have returned,” the unedited version of the post read.

It remains unclear what the app developers are implying in their message—who the “father” or “son” referenced might be. However, this vague criticism has sparked widespread discussion across the Uzbek segment of social media. Activists and the general public have begun speculating about the identities behind the Safe Road app.

“They say it’s a new application, but what’s new about it? Nothing. They took the Road24 application and copied it. Our team knows how to create innovation and convenience. Road24 will be updated soon, offering more features for our users,” the Road24 team stated after the Ministry of Internal Affairs ended its cooperation with them.

The replacement of the well-established Road24 app with a new platform supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has triggered major controversy on social media. Public figures, activists, journalists, and economists are criticizing the decision to discontinue cooperation with an existing, functioning application in favor of a new one—without any public tender or open competition.

“This is like when unpopular new governors are appointed and entrepreneurs and locals are forced to demolish existing markets, build new ones, and relocate—whether they want to or not. Let it be. God forbid the market collapses. If you want to build a new one, let the old one operate too. Let there be competition and choice. But no one speaks up,” wrote activist Otabek Bakirov.

The sudden emergence of the new app, its use of a similar name, state promotion by the Road Traffic Safety Service, and restrictions placed on the old app have all fueled public dissatisfaction. Social media users argue that the situation raises concerns about corruption, violates consumer rights, and highlights the need for fair competition—where both applications can operate side by side.

QALAMPIR.UZ reached out to Otabek Usmonov, the spokesperson for the Committee for the Development of Competition and Protection of Consumer Rights, for clarification.

“In this case, it’s not about a tender. If a tender had been held, and the winner was later restricted while another was introduced by the private sector, we would have intervened. However, this is a contractual matter between Road24 and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We do not consider Road24 a consumer. Both parties are legal entities, and such contracts fall under civil law. If Road24, as an individual, claimed a violation of consumer rights, we could view it differently. But as a legal entity, it falls outside our scope. That said, if there is a case of competition restriction, we can investigate,” Usmonov explained.

He added that if a public tender had taken place and Road24 later filed a complaint over unfair competition, the Committee would be able to review the matter.

QALAMPIR.UZ also contacted the Anti-Corruption Agency to inquire whether government support of the new application involved any signs of corruption. Agency spokesperson Sherzod Saparov said the matter would be reviewed within the agency’s authority, and further information would be provided later. He declined to comment for now.

For reference, the Road24 application's public offer states that it is developed by “Kash App” LLC, which was registered on March 17, 2016. The company has an authorized capital of 165,409,600 sums. Liniza Khalilovna Fatkulina is listed as the head, holding a 10% stake, while the remaining 90% is owned by Naima Muhammadjonovna Hasanova. The app has been downloaded more than 5 million times on the Play Market.

Meanwhile, the public offer section of the Safe Road application—the new exclusive provider of traffic fine information—is currently inaccessible. On the App Store, the app is listed under “AUTODOC” LLC and has over 100,000 downloads. This company was registered on June 27, 2022, with an authorized capital of 500,000 sums. Sayyodbek Siddiqjon oglu Sodikov is named as the head, while Bilal Bakhodir oglu Karimov holds 100% ownership.