Uzbekistan’s Transport Ministry Outlines Measures to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Tashkent

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov has responded to a request from Erkin Gadoev, Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis, regarding measures to alleviate traffic congestion in Tashkent.

According to the Ministry of Transport, about one million vehicles circulate on the capital’s roads daily, with approximately 300,000 of them being private cars — the main source of congestion. To develop public transport and ease the strain on roads, 1,004 new buses have been purchased, including 304 electric buses.

Tashkent currently operates 164 bus routes across four categories: 99 main, 14 circular, 11 trunk, and 40 supplementary routes. Bus intervals have been reduced to 8–10 minutes, and the average speed has increased to 18–21 km/h. Public transport now carries about 1.4 million passengers daily, helping reduce air pollution and reliance on private cars.

The average bus speed has risen by 29% — from 18.7 to 24.1 km/h — allowing around 800,000 passengers to save time each day. Major city highways, including 36 transport corridors with a total length of 472 km, are being equipped with intelligent traffic management systems and “smart” traffic lights. Reconstruction work is also underway on some of the city’s busiest streets — such as Shota Rustaveli, Amir Temur, and Sergeli — along with the introduction of dedicated bus lanes.

Intelligent transport systems are being implemented on Navoi, Beruni, Farhad, Keles, and Akhangaran streets, featuring sensors, remotely controlled traffic lights, and violation detection cameras. A total of 166 intersections across 11 of the city’s busiest routes are now operating under smart control systems.

Plans are being developed to integrate suburban areas with Tashkent through unified bus routes. In October 2025, 200 new electric buses are expected to be delivered to Toshshahartranskhizmat JSC, with an additional 1,000 new buses planned by 2026 to extend routes to nearby settlements.

In addition, night and tourist bus services will be introduced. Fifteen night routes (operating from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) will connect the airport, railway stations, metro lines, and hotel districts, serving tourist streets and major transport hubs.