TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 19. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport plans to additionally purchase and launch at least 1,200 buses on routes, as well as double the bus service to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Trend reports.
The news followed a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and representatives of the Uzbek ministries.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the issue of developing transport services in Uzbekistan. It was noted that despite 1,500 buses having been exported in 2023, the growth of the country’s transport fleet did not exceed 5.5 percent.
Moreover, six private air transport companies will start operating in Uzbekistan in 2023. Since the beginning of the year, 25 new aircraft have been delivered, and 17 routes have been opened. However, the volume of services in the sector increased by only 7.7 percent. The Ministry of Transport has been tasked with increasing the volume of air transportation by 20 percent next year.
The meeting also highlighted the revision of railway tariffs and the abolition of unnecessary benefits. In the process, six high-speed trains and 30 electric trains will be delivered to Uzbekistan, which will ensure 20 percent growth in the sphere next year.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is actively expanding its bus fleet, as earlier this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) lent Uzbekistan's Samarkand $49 million to deploy electric buses.
Furthermore, the Chinese Dongfeng Motor Car Manufacturing Company expressed its willingness to open production of electric buses, investing $45 million in the project. The volume of investments will rise to $50 million in 2025 to localize the production of batteries and other components for electric vehicles, as well as organize a maintenance service.