Clarification on Tashkent bus fares: No fines for cash payments

Starting January 1, 2025, cash payments will no longer be accepted on buses in Tashkent, prompting questions about fines for passengers paying in cash. Yesterday, January 7, the Ministry of Transport denied reports that cash-paying passengers would face penalties.  

Earlier, Salimjon Nishonboyev, an inspector at the Tashkent Transport Inspectorate, suggested that administrative liability would apply to both drivers and passengers accepting or making cash payments. He stated that while first-time offenders would receive a warning, subsequent violations could lead to fines under Articles 144 (Traveling without a ticket) and 145 (Transporting passengers without a ticket) of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. The fine for traveling without a ticket is 1/10 of the BCA or 37,500 sums.  

In response to widespread social media speculation, the Ministry of Transport issued a statement:  
“Unfounded information is being posted on social networks that passengers who paid in cash on bus routes in Tashkent will be fined.”  

According to the Ministry's press secretary, Tashkent now has over 2,500 bus stops equipped with 5,500 info kiosks to facilitate the purchase of QR tickets. Most kiosks are located at stops, while others are within a 300-meter radius.  

While cash payments will no longer be accepted, passengers who fail to procure a ticket will be fined under Article 144, with penalties set at 1/10 of the BCA. However, passengers who pay cash but obtain a valid ticket will not face fines.  

This clarification reassures commuters as Tashkent continues its transition to a fully cashless public transport system.