Another 1,200 buses to be added to Tashkent’s public transport fleet

At a videoconference on road safety and traffic reduction held on July 9, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that 200 new buses will be delivered to Tashkent by September this year, followed by another 1,000 next year.

The President acknowledged that the public transport system in Uzbekistan still falls short of meeting the population’s needs. He criticized the current situation where intercity buses operate not on a set schedule, but only when enough passengers—around 40 to 50—are onboard. This issue stems from the lack of a compensation mechanism for private transport operators. Currently, subsidies are only provided for suburban routes.

To address this, a new system will be introduced for the development of medium- and long-distance public transport. Intercity and regional transport will now follow distinct approaches.

The President highlighted that about one million people visit Tashkent daily, including 275,000 from the Tashkent region. To improve transport services, the capital’s public transport system will transition to a unified agglomeration model, integrating adjacent districts of the Tashkent region.

As part of this initiative, 20 bus routes leading to the Tashkent Ring Road will be extended by 15–20 kilometers, and six new routes will be launched. This is expected to significantly benefit regional commuters.

Anticipating concerns about increased route lengths and potential delays, President Mirziyoyev reassured the public: “We will bring 200 buses to the capital by September and another 1,000 next year.”

The new transport system will begin operating in Tashkent and the Tashkent region from September 1 and in other major cities from January 1 next year.

Plans also include reviving intercity and interregional transport. For this, passenger-based subsidies will be introduced for buses and minibuses. Additionally, the exemption from disposal fees for buses will be extended for another three years and will now also apply to minibuses.

Public transport, including tourist buses and minibuses, will also be exempt from customs duties for three years. However, entrepreneurs must meet two conditions to qualify: strict adherence to route schedules and adoption of electronic payment systems with transparent financial reporting.

During the same meeting, President Mirziyoyev expressed concern over traffic fatalities, noting that 2,203 people died in road accidents across Uzbekistan in 2024—an average of six deaths per day. As a response, the national “Safe Road” program has been launched to improve infrastructure and reduce accidents.

Additionally, a new “Chronic Violators” program will be implemented. Under this program, if a driver commits serious violations—such as driving in the wrong direction or running red lights twice in a month, or exceeding speed limits five times—no fine reductions will be allowed for up to a year. Drivers with more than 10 such offenses in a month may have their licenses revoked for up to six months.