On December 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited bus depot No. 18 of Toshshahartranskhizmat (government body in charge of Tashkent public transport), the presidential press service reported.

A developed public transport system is reportedly one of the most important aspects of city life. But in the city of Tashkent, this area does not meet modern requirements.

In recent years, a lot of housing has been built in the city, the population has increased, and the territory has expanded. Every day, 1.3 million people use the capital's public transport. But there are not enough buses in the Toshshahartranskhizmat system to meet this demand. Most of them are outdated, the presidential press service noted.

There are 90-100 buses less than the norm on a route. The priority of public transport on the streets is not respected. As a result, passengers have to wait for buses for 20-30 minutes, it added.

The President harshly criticized this state of affairs and emphasized that this should not be allowed, especially in such cold weather as these days. He instructed to switch to an enhanced schedule of operation and, as soon as possible, to establish the operation of additional buses on the most popular routes.

Buses from private operators will also be allowed to operate. The state will subsidize part of their expenses. Traffic officers will take measures to prioritize the movement of buses.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed to ensure the efficiency of transportation and the quality of service, to increase the wages of drivers. “Today I instructed Prime Minister [Abdulla Aripov] to deliver 1,000 buses to Tashkent by March. We need to reform public transport. Along with achievements, we also have a lot of shortcomings,” the head of state said.

At the presentation of plans for the development of public transport, it was said that this year 277 buses and electric buses were purchased and put into operation.

To fully cover the need for public transport in Tashkent, another 1,000 large-capacity buses are needed, due to this, the wait time could be reduced to 7-10 minutes.