Social media car rentals lead to tragedy—Legislator calls for urgent reform

Dilmurod Ismoilov, a member of the "Adolat" Social Democratic Party faction in Uzbekistan’s Legislative Chamber, has raised concerns over illegal short-term car rental practices that have led to serious accidents. He formally submitted an inquiry to Transport Minister Ilhom Rustamovich Mahkamov and Internal Affairs Minister Aziz Anvarovich Toshpulatov regarding these issues, as reported by the party's press service.

Despite ongoing reforms aimed at improving service quality, Ismoilov noted that some business operators are prioritizing personal profit over safety, violating regulations outlined in government directives.

Uzbekistan's Cabinet of Ministers issued Decree No. 1015 on December 14, 2018, outlining procedures for short-term car and motorcycle rentals. According to the regulation:

• Only legally registered entities may engage in vehicle rental.
• Renters must present a valid driver's license to qualify for service.

However, Ismoilov pointed out frequent violations of these requirements, citing recent tragic incidents in the Namangan region.

Authorities discovered that Telegram groups such as "Namangan Yezda Moshina" are illegally offering car rentals, even to underage individuals and those without a valid driving license.

This negligence has led to serious traffic accidents. Notably, on October 2, 2024, a rented Gentra vehicle driven by five students crashed in Namangan city, resulting in the tragic deaths of three teenagers.

In response, Ismoilov has requested clarifications from the Transport and Internal Affairs Ministries regarding:

• Efforts to identify illegal car rental operators on time.
• Legal actions taken against violators.
• Preventative measures to curb similar offenses in the future.
• Personal viewpoints of the ministers on addressing this issue.

Earlier, on April 2, 2024, another student-led accident occurred in Davlatobod district, Namangan, when a Nexia-3 rented by an 11th-grade student for 220,000 UZS collided with a truck, highlighting the alarming trend of youth accessing rented vehicles illegally.

Lawmakers stress the urgency of addressing these violations to prevent further tragedies.