“Private transportation should not be readily accessible to everyone,” stated Alisher Kadyrov

"Private transportation should not be readily accessible to everyone," stated Alisher Kadyrov, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis. He addressed this during the government hour in parliament on December 13.

The session focused on enhancing the provision of transport services to the public and expanding the network of public transport routes.

Kadyrov emphasized the need to address the prevalence of private vehicles to alleviate traffic congestion. "While significant efforts are directed towards developing public transport, unless we address private transport, our goals will remain unfulfilled," he remarked.

Over the last decade, the number of private vehicles in Uzbekistan has surged fivefold, raising concerns about future challenges. Kadyrov highlighted the impending implications as Uzbekistan moves towards World Trade Organization protocols, potentially amplifying the acquisition of cars and compounding existing traffic issues.

He drew attention to strategies employed by other nations, such as China and Singapore, where buying a car is feasible but its usage incurs substantial expenses, either through taxes, toll roads, or costly services. He stressed the need for similar measures in Uzbekistan to tackle the burgeoning private transport dilemma.

Kadyrov urged the Minister of Transport, Ilhom Mahkamov, to prioritize this matter, foreseeing a substantial challenge for Uzbekistan within the next 5-6 years. "Accessible private transportation undermines our efforts. We need to make public transport so convenient that it reduces the appeal of private vehicles," he asserted.

Following the government hour, Kadyrov shared a video of his speech on social media, underscoring the need for inexpensive and efficient public transport and advocating for increased costs associated with certain private transport services to mitigate traffic congestion, air pollution, and environmental hazards.