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Uzbekistan to Launch Bus Routes to Central Asian Countries, Russia, and China

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport has unveiled plans to establish new international passenger bus routes connecting regions of Uzbekistan to cities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, and China. The initiative aims to increase the share of bus transportation in Uzbekistan’s international passenger traffic, which is currently dominated by air travel. Planned Routes Kazakhstan Bukhara – Turkestan Urgench – Aktau Fergana – Almaty Kyrgyzstan Andijan – Osh Andijan – Jalalabad Andijan – Arslanbob Kosonsoy – Jalalabad Bukhara – Bishkek Tajikistan Samarkand – Dushanbe Bukhara – Dushanbe Russia Surkhandarya – Bukhara – Urgench – Nukus – Moscow Urgench – Nukus – Ufa Nukus – Krasnodar Tashkent – Ufa Tashkent – Krasnodar China Nukus – Urgench – Bukhara – Urumqi (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) The Ministry has invited both domestic and international transport companies to apply for the operation of regular bus services on these proposed routes.

Digital Technologies public transport Digitalization

You Can Now Pay Your Fare on Tashkent’s Subway with the Palm of Your Hand

The Tashkent subway has introduced a pilot project for the “MyID Palm” fare payment system, which uses biometric technology to identify passengers by the unique vein pattern in their palms. This innovative system was developed by local scientists in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the payment service “ATTO,” and Octobank. It marks a significant advancement in biometric identification for public transportation. The system relies on palm vein scanners to read each passenger's unique vein pattern. According to the developers, this data is securely protected against unauthorized access and forgery. The goal of the technology is to enhance both security and convenience in fare payments. Currently, “MyID Palm” devices have been installed at 12 stations along the Chilanzar line, where they are operating in test mode. Plans are underway to expand this system to all metro stations in Tashkent. To use the service, passengers need an “ATTO” transportation card and the associated mobile application to create a biometric profile. The activation process involves scanning their palm at a designated info kiosk located at one of the stations equipped with the technology. Testing of the palm payment system began in late October 2023, with Druzhba Narodov station becoming the first to enable this feature. Earlier, in September 2023, the Tashkent subway began testing a Face ID payment system, which allows passengers to pay their fare using facial recognition technology. These advancements signal a move toward a more modernized and user-friendly public transportation system in Uzbekistan's capital, with both residents and visitors benefiting from the improved efficiency and security of biometric payment solutions.

Court Cases Social Services public transport Government Transport

Bishkek Court Upholds Decision to Dismantle Trolleybus Lines

The Bishkek Administrative Court has ruled in favor of a decision by the city's Mayor’s Office to dismantle trolleybus lines legally. Representatives of the municipality successfully argued the legality of their actions. The city government plans to completely replace trolleybuses, an environmentally friendly mode of transportation, with buses. To implement this plan, workers have reportedly cut power lines at night, causing widespread transportation disruptions. This move has faced significant backlash from Bishkek residents, who filed a lawsuit and lodged a complaint with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which had financed the purchase of new trolleybuses. This decision follows months of controversy. Previously The Times of Central Asia reported that activists had opposed the dismantling of trolleybus lines, labeling the actions as illegal. A month ago, the same court had deemed the municipality’s actions unlawful after city officials failed to appear in court or provide necessary documentation. Municipal authorities argue that trolleybus operations are financially unsustainable and require substantial investment to maintain the infrastructure. “The city hall continues to work on improving urban space, modernizing public transport, and enhancing infrastructure to make the city safer, more comfortable, and attractive for residents and guests of the capital,” the municipality said. However, activist Bermet Borubayeva and other advocates for the preservation of trolleybuses expressed disappointment with the court’s decision. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Borubayeva criticized the ruling, noting that the mayor’s office had only substantiated the dismantling of lines on a few streets, not across the entire city. “Residents demand transparency and legality in the actions of the authorities and will continue to fight for the preservation of trolleybuses. Despite the wrongful actions of city officials, the judge recognizes them as legal. This ignores the interests of the plaintiffs,” Borubayeva said. Human rights groups have vowed to challenge the court’s decision. A new trial concerning Bishkek’s trolleybuses is scheduled for January 13.

Legislation Parliament Air Astana public transport

Kazakh MP Zhanbyrshin Criticizes Air Astana

Kazakh MP Yedil Zhanbyrshin has voiced strong criticism of Air Astana, calling for more Kazakh-language content on its flights and denouncing the airline’s complex refund and compensation processes. Zhanbyrshin directed his remarks at Air Astana CEO Peter Foster, emphasizing the need for the airline to prioritize the Kazakh language, particularly for flights operating within Kazakhstan. “We have repeatedly raised this issue, and it is time to bring the situation in line with the country’s laws. Onboard content is predominantly presented in another language, with Kazakh rarely used. Why is the state language not given priority?” the MP stressed. He further reminded the airline of its obligation to comply with national laws and uphold citizens’ rights. “Mr. Foster, when you first came to Parliament, you were asked only a couple of questions. Working here, you must protect the rights of Kazakhstanis, honor and respect the country’s laws, and create appropriate conditions. Don’t laugh! It’s not funny. You are sitting here, treating us as if we are not people. We are not aborigines in Africa [sic] who don’t understand anything. Don’t play with us, laughing in our faces. This is Parliament! We are representatives of the people, elected by the people,” Zhanbyrshin declared. Zhanbyrshin also criticized the airline’s refund policies, describing them as excessively convoluted. He recounted his personal experience of trying unsuccessfully for five months to secure compensation for a 12-hour flight delay. “It is almost impossible for an ordinary person to navigate the application process and find the necessary information on the website. This is a deliberately complicated process,” he said. He urged other airlines, including SCAT, to simplify their procedures. Zhanbyrshin’s comments follow another controversy involving Air Astana. In November, MP Irina Smirnova sued the airline after her flight was rescheduled at only seven hours' notice. Smirnova sought moral compensation of one tenge for the inconvenience but lost the case. She has since announced plans to appeal.

Infrastructure Development City Agglomeration public transport Transport Construction Traffic

Astana’s Long-Awaited LRT Project Set to Launch Next Year

Zhenis Kassymbek, the Akim (governor) of Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, has announced that the city’s first light rail transit (LRT) line will launch by the end of next year, marking a significant milestone in a 13-year-long construction project fraught with delays and controversies. The LRT project, envisioned as a high-speed transport system running on elevated tracks to bypass traffic, began construction in 2011. Initially, the line was slated for completion by 2017 to coincide with the EXPO international exhibition. It was intended to connect the Astana-Nurly Zhol railway station with the capital’s airport. While the railway station opened on time, the LRT project was halted in 2013 due to high costs and concerns over its financial viability. The project was revived in 2015 when Astana’s Akimat signed a construction deal with a consortium of Chinese companies, China Railway International Group Limited and Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. However, further delays occurred when funds — amounting to over 80 billion tenge ($200 million at the time) — were frozen in the accounts of the now-defunct Bank of Astana. Construction began with the installation of support pillars, but the Chinese contractors abandoned the project due to funding issues. In 2019, Kazakhstan’s investigative authorities intervened. Talgat Ardan, the former head of Astana LRT, and Kanat Sultanbekov, an ex-deputy mayor of Astana, were accused of embezzling nearly 30 billion tenge. This included inflating project costs and awarding overpriced contracts. Both were sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison in May 2023. Despite initial skepticism from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who questioned the project’s ridership potential given its 22-kilometer length and route, the decision was made to proceed. Former Akim Altay Kulginov argued that dismantling the incomplete infrastructure would cost more than completing it. Under Kassymbek, construction has progressed. “The first LRT trains will arrive in August or September next year. We expect to have 15 trains operational by fall, with technical testing by the end of 2024 and full service in early 2026,” Kassymbek stated during a briefing. The elevated tracks are nearing completion, with rail-laying in progress. Signal installation is set to begin in spring. The Akimat anticipates the line will serve approximately 20,000 passengers daily. The fare for LRT rides has yet to be finalized. Kassymbek announced that the pricing would remain affordable. However, he stopped short of providing specifics. In 2017, the proposed fare was 300 tenge per ride, three times the cost of a bus ticket at that time. Current bus fares in Astana range from 110 tenge for regular routes to 250 tenge for express routes. Given the LRT’s total project cost of $1.88 billion, fares significantly higher than bus rates may be needed to achieve profitability. Despite this, the LRT could address pressing issues, such as Astana’s daily traffic jams. Currently, buses are the only public transport option in the city. “We aim to expand roads, increase bridges, and enhance public transport to encourage residents to switch from private vehicles,” Kassymbek said. He also suggested that Turkestan and...

public transport Civil Aviation Trains Railway stations Transportation Transport and Logistics

Kazakh National Rail Service Eyes Move to Hub Model for Integrated Passenger Transport

Kazakhstan's national rail carrier, Passenger Transportation JSC, plans to revamp the railway's passenger transport division to cut its losses and meet the demand for transportation services. In order to do so, it is developing a project using the so-called hub model. The hub system involves organizing passenger transport around connections of mainline and regional services in transport hubs. Each transport hub will connect not only trains but also other modes of transport, thus realizing a no less important project - intermodal passenger transportation. The hub system aims to ensure rail passenger transport's competitiveness and reduce operating costs, while contributing to environmental goals by encouraging people to choose public transport over private. The hub model for passenger transport is being implemented via a cooperation framework between Passenger Transportation JSC and consultants from Germany's DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH. To better understand how this project will be implemented, The Times of Central Asia spoke with the executive director of the intermodal transportation project at Passenger Transportation JSC, Zhambul Baideldinov, and the director of intermodal transportation of DB Engineering & Consulting, Nikolai Sidorvs. According to Baideldinov, the hub model of passenger transport in Kazakhstan is aimed at creating convenient, rapid transport links between the hubs of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, as well as regional transfer points. Such a model aims to develop hubs where passengers can comfortably transfer from one mode of transport to another, including rail and road and, in the future, air transport. “Successful implementation of the project will allow us to solve the problem of seasonal shortages of seats in passenger trains, as well as expand the range of services provided,” explained Baideldinov. According to Sidorvs, the regions and cities that will host the transport hubs were selected on the basis of several key factors. First, the geographical significance and the city's role as a logistics center linking major traffic flows were considered. Second, current passenger traffic volumes and their future growth potential were analyzed. Priority was also given to cities with developed transport infrastructure that would allow for effective integration of different modes of transport. “In the initial stage, the plan calls for creating a hub at the Nurly Zhol railway station in Astana. At subsequent stages, other hubs will be established in the cities of Shymkent, Semey, and Almaty,” explained Sidorvs. The Nurly Zhol complex in the capital is expected to become an example for further projects. Plans also call for modernizing transport infrastructure to create efficient and convenient transfer hubs in different regions of Kazakhstan. In addition to large hubs, such as Nurly Zhol, the establishment of regional hubs is planned. Passenger Transportation JSC is currently setting up programs to develop regional transfer points. Within the framework of these initiatives, the national passenger carrier is also working closely with government agencies and local government leaders, making it possible to combine efforts and attract additional resources. “A pilot project for intermodal transportation has already been implemented by the company. Passengers who purchase travel tickets for a number of...