Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to introduce dedicated tourist bus services in Samarkand and Bukhara, connecting airports and railway stations with major attractions and hotels, under a draft presidential resolution outlining the country's local passenger transport development strategy through 2030.
In Samarkand, express Tourist Shuttle buses and circular routes are scheduled to be introduced by the end of 2027.
The services will connect Samarkand International Airport, the railway station, Registan Square, the Shah-i-Zinda complex, the Boki-Shahar complex and major hotels.
The city also plans to introduce an integrated digital tourist navigation system to improve access to transport information and visitor destinations.
The Samarkand regional administration and the Ministry of Transport will be responsible for implementing these measures. No additional funding is envisaged.
In Bukhara region, an express bus service is planned to begin operating in February 2028, connecting the railway station, international airport, Old City and hotels.
Under the draft resolution, buses will operate continuously between these locations.
Implementation will be assigned to the Bukhara regional administration and the Ministry of Transport, also without additional funding.
A separate initiative предусматривает the pilot launch of an integrated ticketing system on 1 July 2027 for the route linking Tashkent Airport, Urgench Airport and Khiva railway station.
The single ticket will combine air and rail travel through the Bir Yo‘l platform.
Launching the service will require the development of fare structures and settlement mechanisms between transport operators, as well as the integration of their information systems.
The draft strategy also highlights a reduction in rail travel time between Tashkent and Khiva.
The journey now takes 7 hours and 40 minutes, compared with the previous 14 hours.
High-speed Jaloliddin Manguberdi electric trains, purchased from South Korea, began operating on the Tashkent–Urgench–Khiva route in the first half of 2026.
Domestic and international tourists are identified among the strategy's target groups.
Planned improvements include better transport connections between airports, railway stations and tourist attractions, multilingual navigation, a unified mobile application and wider use of the Bir Yo‘l platform.
