Tashkent driver blocks ambulance; public outrage over light penalty

A video showing a Lixiang L9 vehicle refusing to give way to an ambulance circulated widely on social media on May 31. In the footage, the driver is seen ignoring several warnings and blocking the emergency vehicle. The Department of Public Security under the Ministry of Internal Affairs has since conducted an investigation and issued an official response.

Authorities confirmed that the incident occurred on May 29. The driver reportedly failed to notice the ambulance approaching from behind due to inattention and did not yield the right of way. As a result, traffic police issued a citation under Article 128, Paragraph 5 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility, which covers violations such as driving on sidewalks, pedestrian or bicycle paths, green zones, and disobeying traffic rules. The fine imposed amounted to 1,875,000 soums.

However, the penalty sparked widespread backlash among social media users and activists, who deemed it far too lenient given the potential consequences.

Among the critics was lawyer and blogger Khushnudbek Khudoyberdiev, who described the situation as “extremely ridiculous.”

“The fine is 1,875,000 soums. If paid within 15 days, there’s a 50% discount, so he’ll only pay 937,000 soums. This is absurd! It’s shameful to impose such a light penalty for a serious violation that could have cost lives,” Khudoyberdiev wrote on his Telegram channel.

He further compared the penalty to harsher fines for less dangerous violations: “We impose a 9,375,000 soum fine for unauthorized window tinting, and 15 million for repeat offenders—why? Because much of that money goes to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Meanwhile, someone who obstructs an ambulance receives no harsher punishment for repeat offenses. You could do it every day and still just pay 900,000 soums each time. The so-called ‘cool guys’ never learn from their mistakes.”

Khudoyberdiev also appealed to lawmakers, urging them to reform the penal system from a humanitarian standpoint.

“We must introduce stricter penalties for drivers who fail to yield to emergency service vehicles, such as ambulances and fire trucks. This should be treated as an attempted threat to human life and must carry criminal liability and the revocation of driving privileges,” he wrote.

Others on social media echoed these sentiments, with some users even calling for the confiscation of vehicles belonging to drivers who block ambulances. Many described such behavior as a blatant disregard for human life.