In recent years, large-scale efforts have been undertaken to provide the population with convenient, safe, and environmentally friendly public transportation. In particular, over the past three years, 2,650 modern electric buses have been delivered to the capital and regional centers. A total of 279 regular routes have been organized under gross contracts. For the first time, an annual allocation of around 2 trillion UZS from the budget has been established for these purposes.
As a result, the number of buses operating on routes has reached 3,150. The number of daily trips increased from 18,000 in 2022 to 45,200, and passenger traffic grew from 900,000 to 2.3 million. As a result, 4,800 new jobs have been created.
The tasks for developing public transportation were reviewed during the presentation. It was noted that, due to the acceleration of urbanization and the sharp increase in transport activity among the population on the outskirts of the capital and regional centers, traffic intensity at city entrances has increased by 30 percent.
In this regard, it was proposed to transition urban public transportation to a unified agglomeration system. At the same time, the gross contract system will also cover bus routes operating within 12 kilometers of cities.
In particular, it was noted that organizing transport links between the capital and the settlements of Nazarbek, Mineralnye Vody, and Uch Qahramon in Tashkent region could reduce vehicle traffic by at least 20 percent. Overall, 19 such routes are planned in the capital and 79 in regional centers.
To integrate the capital’s public transportation and suburban rail services, it was proposed to introduce convenient fare options such as “electric train – bus” and “electric train – metro”.
The need to renew the public transportation fleet in regional centers was also noted. According to estimates, the regions require an additional 1,500 large- and medium-capacity buses. In this regard, proposals were put forward to stimulate the purchase of modern buses, expand financial opportunities for entrepreneurs, and launch credit lines. In particular, to support entrepreneurs, it was proposed to extend the exemption from the recycling fee on bus imports for another two years.
The presentation placed special emphasis on creating decent and safe working conditions for bus drivers. It was noted that overtime work by some drivers is currently having a negative impact on the quality of service. Last year, 1,670 complaints related to driver behavior and service were received from the public in the capital alone. In addition, 109 bus-related road accidents were recorded.
In this regard, tasks were set to improve the gross contract system, increase the number of drivers per bus from 2 to 3, strengthen road safety measures, and improve the culture of service.
Dispatch centers have been established in each region to assess the volume and quality of work in public transportation. As a result, 90 percent of trips are now operated strictly according to schedule.
It has now been proposed to use artificial intelligence technologies in these centers to organize bus operations in line with passenger traffic. This will make it possible to reduce the cost of transporting one passenger by 10-15 percent.
The Head of State noted that the development of public transportation should cover not only densely populated cities but also tourist centers.
Based on the goals of transforming Samarkand and Namangan into cities with a population of one million, instructions were issued to develop specific master plans to expand modern green transportation routes for residents and tourists in these regions.
It was noted that in recent years, the number of tourists visiting the city of Khiva has increased threefold, sharply increasing the need for convenient public transportation. In this regard, it was indicated that public transportation development programs should be launched in major tourist centers such as Khiva, Shakhrisabz, Margilan, and Kokand.
