Uzbekistan Proposes Driver's License Revocation and Fines for Child Transport Violations

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan plans to radically toughen driver responsibility for violating rules regarding the transportation of children in vehicles.

The Prosecutor General's Office of the republic has developed and published a draft law for public discussion, introducing strict amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility.

The necessity of the reform is driven by disappointing statistics, as minor passengers account for a significant portion of casualties in road traffic accidents due to the disregard for basic safety requirements, such as the absence of car seats, restraining devices, and seat belts. The developers of the document state that current administrative measures are ineffective and do not deter vehicle owners from committing offenses.

According to the published draft law, it is proposed to supplement national legislation with a specialized Article 128-11 (Violation of the rules and organization of transportation of children) of the Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The new legal norm provides for a differentiated system of punishments:

For a basic violation of child transportation rules, drivers will face a fine of 30 basic calculation values (BRV), which is equivalent to 12.36 million soums, with mandatory deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a long term ranging from one to three years.

If a similar offense is committed by a person who does not possess a driver's license at all or has already been deprived of it previously, the amount of the fine increases to 50 BRV (20.6 million soums), or the violator will face administrative arrest for a term of up to 15 days.

For repeating the safety rules violation within a year after the application of the first administrative punishment, an alternative-free fine is established in the amount of 50 BRV (20.6 million soums).

The Prosecutor General's Office expects that the adoption and practical implementation of this law will make it possible to clearly regulate the area of driver responsibility, cardinally strengthen preventive work on the roads, and minimize injuries to children.

This initiative is being promoted in parallel with a general package of government amendments aimed at toughening punishments for other gross violations of traffic rules. Special and close attention within this campaign is also paid to suppressing cases where adults irresponsibly allow children and teenagers to drive cars.