Tashkent to require bus fare payment upon boarding

Passengers in Tashkent will be required to pay their bus fare upon boarding starting September 1 this year. The measure was introduced under the government's resolution "On Additional Measures to Further Improve the Urban Passenger Transport System," adopted on June 3.

According to the resolution, a zero-rate utilization fee will apply until December 31, 2027, to the import of new M3-category vehicles (excluding Class III vehicles) that meet Euro-5 or higher environmental standards and are designed to carry 60 or more passengers in addition to the driver. The exemption covers buses, electric buses, and trolleybuses imported into Uzbekistan.

The resolution also introduces new procedures aimed at ensuring full fare collection on regular urban bus routes operating under gross-contract arrangements. Beginning September 1, passengers will be required to pay their fare when boarding buses equipped with automated payment system terminals (validators).

Fare payment may be made through the following methods:

•  Validating a transport card by tapping it on a validator;
•  Using a bank card, smartphone, or other contactless electronic payment methods, including NFC, QR, biometric, BLE, UWB, and other emerging technologies;
•  Confirming eligibility for discounted or free travel by tapping a social or transport card on a validator.

Passengers who fail to pay or validate their fare through the approved methods upon boarding will be considered to be traveling without a valid ticket.

The resolution also introduces amendments and additions to several government decisions. In particular, routes extending up to five kilometers beyond city boundaries, or up to 12 kilometers in accordance with approved urban transport and road infrastructure development master plans, will now be classified as urban bus routes.

In addition, the Ministry of Transport, together with relevant ministries and agencies, is expected to introduce an integrated fare payment system for the capital's public transport and suburban railway services by September 1. The system will include attractive tariff plans for combined "electric train–bus" and "electric train–metro" journeys.

Earlier, reports indicated that Uzbekistan may soon introduce an artificial intelligence-based system capable of identifying passengers who fail to pay fares on buses.