Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan may stop accepting cash fares on suburban trains and suburban and intercity buses from 1 January 2030 under a draft presidential resolution on the development of domestic passenger transport through 2030.
According to the draft, around 70% of passengers currently pay for travel in cash. The authorities aim to switch payments on these routes entirely to electronic methods by the beginning of 2030.
The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Digital Technologies and Uzbekistan Railways JSC are expected to prepare the necessary regulations and technical solutions to implement the plan.
During the transition period, passengers purchasing electronic tickets for the specified routes would receive discounts of at least 20%. The discounts are proposed for 2027–2029 and are intended to encourage electronic payments, improve the transparency of transport records and reduce the shadow economy.
The draft also provides for a unified electronic ticketing platform. The national Bir Yo‘l platform is scheduled to begin operating on 1 January 2028. Its planned share of all passenger journeys is 10% in 2028, 15% in 2029 and 25% in 2030.
The Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, has been tasked under the draft with integrating Uzbekistan Railways’ electronic ticketing system with the e-government information systems and the Unified Identification System within one month. Data exchange is to be conducted electronically and free of charge.
Similar integration is planned for the electronic ticketing systems of Uzbekistan Airways JSC.
The draft also highlights technological risks and cybersecurity threats. Potential failures of payment systems and digital platforms could disrupt the stable provision of services.
To mitigate these risks, the document proposes regular technical audits, the use of backup servers and data protection through modern security mechanisms.
The measures remain proposals in a draft resolution and have not yet entered into force.
