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Delivery Couriers

Uzbekistan Delivery Drivers Under Police Scrutiny: Why Tashkent Lacks Space for Mopeds

A delivery courier in Tashkent says police confiscated the electric bicycle he used to deliver orders after demanding a driver's license, leaving him unable to work. In an early October video appeal, the man said his bicycle could not exceed 25 kilometers per hour and that he did not ride on roads used by cars. Economist Otabek Bakirov published the video amid increasingly frequent police inspections of moped and scooter riders, including delivery workers. Police have justified the inspections by pointing to traffic accidents. Figures released in early October put the number of accidents involving mopeds and scooters in Uzbekistan this year at 563, leaving 89 people dead and another 488 injured. But how well are Tashkent's streets equipped to accommodate the vehicles used by thousands of delivery workers every day? Thousands of Violations and New Regulations According to the Road Traffic Safety Service of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs, inspectors recorded 4,312 violations involving moped and scooter riders in 2026, about 14 times the number recorded throughout 2025. The agency attributes accidents partly to riders lacking driver's licenses and having insufficient knowledge of traffic rules. However, the sharp increase in recorded violations also coincides with new requirements for riders and more frequent police inspections. In early October, Tashkent police publicly explained another incident involving a motorized two-wheeler. On the night of October 2, inspectors stopped a man on Amir Temur Street because, according to their account, his vehicle was obstructing traffic. It had a homemade attachment that restricted visibility, while the rider's clothing lacked reflective elements. He also did not have the required documents. Since October 2025, Uzbekistan has required mopeds and scooters to be registered. In January 2026, the country introduced a simplified A1 driver's license subcategory for mopeds and certain other low-powered vehicles. This can be obtained by passing theoretical and practical exams, without compulsory driving-school training. Drivers who hold Uzbekistan's national licenses in categories A, B, C, or D do not need a separate A1 license. A vehicle's legal classification depends on its technical specifications. For example, ordinary electric kick scooters are classified as personal mobility devices and do not require a license. Couriers and Delivery Services In 2025, the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan estimated that there were approximately 130,000 couriers across the country making deliveries on bicycles, mopeds, and scooters. For students, people from other regions, and those without steady employment, delivery work can offer a way to earn money quickly. However, couriers often have to cover vehicle expenses, documentation costs, and fines themselves. Amid the police inspections, Sardor Kadyrov, vice president of Yandex Uzbekistan, presented his own figures. According to his estimates, couriers have received fines totaling nearly 4.7 billion soums, approximately $390,000, since the beginning of 2026. Missing documents accounted for only about 8% of the violations he cited, which covered motorcycle, scooter, and moped riders. Kadyrov also claimed that mopeds were involved in fewer than 6% of all recorded traffic accidents. His figures cover mopeds alone, while the Road Traffic Safety...

Public Transport

Bishkek Metro Plans Resurface Despite High Costs and Low Demand

Bishkek is once again talking about building a metro, despite an assessment by the Kyrgyz capital's own planners that it would attract too few passengers and cost roughly ten times as much as a tram network. Officials have now raised it with French and European development partners. Plans for the new transport systems were discussed on October 9 by Bishkek First Deputy Mayor Kubanychbek Imanaliev, French Ambassador Nicolas Faye, and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The French side expressed its willingness to help finance a feasibility study. Alexander Baranov, one of the developers of the city's master plan through 2050, said in December 2025 that a tram network would be much quicker to build and better suited to the city's passenger volumes. Mayor Aibek Dzhunushaliev said on October 2 that the city would consider building a metro if a viable project and investors emerged. Meanwhile, Bishkek is still struggling to provide enough buses. The mayor said on October 12 that the 1,600 buses purchased earlier were insufficient and that the fleet needs to expand to approximately 2,500. Bishkek's master plan through 2050, approved earlier this year, includes tram lines and a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, using dedicated bus lanes and specially equipped stops. This approach can carry more passengers and reduce travel times without requiring underground tunnels. The proposed tram network would connect several districts of the capital. A BRT line could link parts of the city with Manas International Airport. No construction timetable has been established. According to official estimates, the city's road network was originally designed for approximately 50,000 vehicles. Today, around 468,000 vehicles are registered in the capital, while as many as 700,000 use its streets daily when traffic from the suburbs and neighboring regions is included. Nearly 80% of Bishkek's registered cars were more than 15 years old, according to figures published by Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision in 2025. A World Bank study identified transport as one of the city's main pollution sources, accounting for approximately 27% of annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. Bishkek regularly experiences severe smog, particularly in winter, when vehicle emissions are compounded by pollution from residential heating and other sources. Authorities previously proposed prioritizing public transportation and gradually reducing the use of private cars.

Political Parties

Tokayev Dissolves Kazakhstan Local Councils Ruling Party Merger

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on October 12 terminating the powers of maslikhats, the country’s local representative assemblies. Snap elections must now be held by December 12. The move follows a decision in June 2026 to merge the Amanat party into the newly established pro-presidential Adilet party, which won August’s parliamentary elections. Most incumbent local deputies, however, were elected in 2023 under the Amanat banner, raising questions about their mandates as the party is absorbed into Adilet. Why Questions About Legitimacy Arose Tokayev first raised the prospect of early elections on September 24, speaking at the inaugural session of the Halyq Kenesi, or People’s Council of Kazakhstan. “The overwhelming majority of maslikhat deputies were elected from the Amanat party. That party no longer operates independently, having merged with the Adilet party,” Tokayev explained. He said the merger would soon raise questions about the legitimacy of much of the country’s local representative bodies once the legal procedures were completed. Under Kazakh law, deputies can lose their seats if the party through which they were elected ceases to exist. However, the decision to merge the parties did not, by itself, end their mandates. From Nur Otan to Adilet Amanat was previously known as Nur Otan and had been the main political support base of Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Founded in 1999, the party underwent several name changes. The most recent came in March 2022, following the January unrest, when mass protests escalated into the largest political crisis in Kazakhstan’s post-independence history. Amanat voted on June 12 to join Adilet, which approved the merger two days later. The new organization inherited its regional branches, administrative apparatus, and extensive network of activists. Adilet itself had been registered only on June 1, just weeks before the merger. Adilet was headed by Aibek Dadebay, who had previously led President Tokayev’s administration. Following the August parliamentary elections, he became chairman of the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament. In the August 23 elections, Adilet won 71.17% of the vote and 110 of the 145 parliamentary seats. Four other parties crossed the 5% electoral threshold but secured only 35 seats between them. Maslikhats and the New Parliamentary System Maslikhats are elected at the regional, city, and district levels. They approve local budgets, review territorial development programs, and hear reports from executive officials. In cases provided for by law, deputies may initiate a vote of no confidence in an akim, the head of a local administration. Kazakhstan, however, remains a unitary state with a strong presidential chain of command. The heads of regions and major cities are appointed by the president. Following constitutional reform, the Senate and Mazhilis were replaced by the unicameral Kurultai. On October 7, its deputies voted to establish a Council for Cooperation with Maslikhats. According to deputy Amirbek Ospanbekov, local representative bodies work directly with residents, understand regional conditions, and encounter the practical consequences of laws passed by parliament. The council is expected to involve maslikhat representatives in drafting legislation and gathering information...

Agricultural Trade

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Apple and Potato Import Ban to Protect Domestic Farmers

Kyrgyzstan is considering temporary bans on apple and potato imports to prevent foreign produce from driving down prices during the domestic harvest season. The proposed apple import ban would remain in place until February 1, 2027, while potato imports would be restricted until March 1. The Ministry of Agriculture expects Kyrgyz farmers to harvest 179,400 metric tons of apples this year. Meanwhile, the country imported 6,400 tons between January and August, more than twice the amount imported during all of 2025. The main suppliers were Poland (3,600 tons), China (1,700 tons), and Uzbekistan (859 tons). Kyrgyz apple exports, by contrast, fell by 13.3% over the same eight-month period to 10,800 tons. The ministry is concerned that rising imports and declining exports could make it harder for local growers to sell their harvest without accepting lower wholesale prices. For potatoes, the government expects domestic production to cover the country's needs. The projected harvest is 1.25 million tons, compared with annual domestic consumption of approximately 800,000 tons. The ministry proposes restricting imports until spring to give farmers time to sell their crops. The proposals raise questions about Kyrgyzstan's obligations within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which guarantees the free movement of goods between member states. According to a published examination of the draft legislation, the apple ban would also cover imports from other EAEU countries, while the potato proposal does not specify whether these would be included. Under Article 29 of the EAEU Treaty, member states can restrict trade in certain circumstances, including to protect public health or national security. In September, Kazakhstan also introduced a ban on apple imports. The ban, which runs until December 31, extends to apples from other EAEU countries and specifically cites Article 29 of the Union's treaty. As recently as March, Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Agriculture said there were no grounds for restricting potato imports from China, citing, among other factors, the country's international trade obligations.

Vibe Coding

Kazakhstan Begins Military AI Training for 75 Personnel

Kazakhstan has begun training military personnel to create software using artificial intelligence (AI) without having to write code themselves. A total of 75 participants, including conscripts from the Air Defense Forces and Ground Forces, will take the course at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU) in Astana. The approach, known in the AI industry as "vibe coding," allows users to create digital tools by describing tasks in everyday language. AI generates the code, while users check the results and refine their instructions as needed. During the course, participants will learn to visualize data and develop applications. "Our goal is to give military personnel skills they can apply in their daily duties. We teach them to create their own digital solutions for specific tasks, from analyzing data on the country and its regions to automating workflows. The main thing is to show them how it works and help them overcome the initial barrier so they can go on to develop their own ideas independently," explained Sergey Pen, deputy chairman of the MNU Management Board for science, innovation, and artificial intelligence. The training is part of the AI+X program, run by MNU under a three-year government pilot initiative. For practical sessions, the university uses its specialized AI Agentic Lab and computing resources. The use of AI for military tasks also raises questions about data security. Kazakhstan is developing a dedicated AI system for military personnel that is intended to keep information within a secure environment rather than transmit it to external services.

Ministry of Defense

Kazakhstan Names Former Finance Official Deputy Defense Minister Amid Military Shake-Up

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Tatyana Savelyeva deputy defense minister on October 7. The former vice minister of finance and member of parliament joins a ministry undergoing a major investigation following the deaths of 14 service members during exercises in the Caspian Sea. The investigation has led to criminal cases and arrests, while senior military commanders have been dismissed. Savelyeva replaced Asker Beisenov, who was dismissed from his position on the same day. To take up the appointment, she resigned early from the Kurultai, Kazakhstan's new unicameral parliament. Savelyeva joined it in late August 2026. The 50-year-old Savelyeva has spent most of her career working in public finance. From 2016 to 2023, she served as vice minister of finance, then became a member of the Mazhilis, the lower house of the former parliament, and secretary of the Committee on Finance and Budget. She became the committee’s chair in February 2024. In August 2026, she was elected to the Kurultai representing the Adilet party. The Defense Ministry has not yet announced which areas Savelyeva will oversee. Her predecessor, Beisenov, previously headed the ministry's Department of Economics and Finance. Political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev links Savelyeva's appointment to the investigation into the Defense Ministry following the deaths of the service members in the Caspian Sea. He recalled corruption investigations within the ministry, including irregularities in military procurement and supplies. In Ashimbayev's assessment, Savelyeva's experience in the Finance Ministry and parliament could prove useful in bringing order to the military budget. On September 24, during the Khazar Qorgany 2026 naval exercises in the Mangystau region, on Kazakhstan's Caspian coast, 17 service members were swept out to sea. Three were rescued, and 14 died. The tragedy sparked public outrage and questions about how the exercises were organized, personnel training, and the actions of the military command. On September 27, Tokayev dismissed Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov. Aidos Myrzakhmetov became the new head of the ministry. The chief of the General Staff, the commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces, and other senior military officers subsequently lost their positions. On October 5, the president was presented with the initial findings of the Defense Ministry investigation. A commission headed by Deputy Chair of the Security Council Aida Balayeva identified violations in the organization of exercises, service member safety, discipline, and logistical support. Thirteen criminal cases have been opened over the suspected theft of state property, abuse of office, and other violations. The deaths of the service members are being investigated separately. At the October 5 briefing, officials said five military officials had been arrested in connection with the deaths. On October 6, the Interior Ministry announced the detention of former navy commander Kanat Niyazbekov on suspicion of negligence, with a court authorizing his arrest. Investigators also uncovered cases of hazing and violence against service members. Tokayev instructed officials to prepare a military reform plan, including changes to management, personnel training, discipline, and safety measures. On September 27, he gave the Security Council Office and Defense Ministry ten days to submit the...