As part of preparations for a new urban development plan, Bishkek’s municipal authorities have conducted a comprehensive survey to understand how residents of the capital and its suburbs navigate the city.
According to the results, 41% of respondents rely on private transportation, including personal vehicles and taxis, while 38% use municipal public transport, primarily buses. The remaining 21% get around on foot, by bicycle, or by scooter, including electric scooters.
The most frequented destination for city residents is the downtown area, which accounts for the majority of work-related and other daily trips.
The Bishkek City Administration stated that the survey data will be used to design a more efficient and balanced urban transportation system aimed at enhancing public transit services.
Traffic congestion remains a critical issue in Bishkek, a city experiencing rapid population growth. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, motor vehicles, particularly older models lacking catalytic converters, are responsible for approximately 30% of the city’s air pollution.
Vehicle numbers in the capital have surged in recent years. Bishkek now hosts more than 700,000 vehicles, nearly double the road infrastructure’s intended capacity of 350,000. Over 300,000 of these vehicles are more than 15 years old, making them significant contributors to harmful emissions.
In response, the city has taken steps to modernize its public transportation fleet. Recent initiatives include replacing diesel-powered buses with larger, more environmentally friendly models powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
