It has been decided to block validators in buses during fare payment checks
Fare inspectors on Tashkent buses can now block validators while checking passengers for proof of payment. "Excuses will no longer work," Toshshaxartransxizmat stated. Passengers note the difficulties of paying quickly upon boarding, especially when the bus is full.
A decision has been made to block validators in buses during fare payment checks
Fare inspectors on Tashkent buses will be able to block validators — fare payment and registration devices — during checks on whether passengers are paying for their ride, starting October 2. If the fare is not paid or registered upon entry, passengers will be fined.
"Excuses like 'I'll pay when I see the inspector' or 'I'll pay when I reach my stop' will no longer work," the company's video states.
Since September 1, passengers on bus routes operating under the gross-cost contract system are required to pay their fare upon entry. Otherwise, the passenger is considered a fare evader, according to a June decree by the government of Uzbekistan. The fine for fare evasion is currently 44,000 soums.
Abduvokhid Khudoyberdiev, deputy director of the state institution "Monitoring and Control of Passenger Transportation of Tashkent," said that the goal of tightening control is to "reinforce" the payment procedure stipulated by the decree.
The automated fare collection system was introduced in the capital at the beginning of 2020. Since January 1, 2025, the city's public transport has fully transitioned to cashless payment. Concurrently, conductors were phased out. They not only accepted cash payments but also, unusually in global practice, took cards from passengers and tapped them against the validator themselves.
Many passengers got used to paying their fare upon exiting and continue to do so to this day. Some passengers spoken to by our correspondents admitted they were unaware of the new rules, even though announcements about them are periodically broadcast on the buses.
Residents spoken to by "Gazeta" note that paying immediately upon entry can be difficult, especially when the cabin is overcrowded or when many people are trying to board the bus. Boarding and exiting buses are permitted through all doors (in some regions, only through the front door).
Paying quickly via QR code can also be challenging: one needs to open an app on their phone and point the camera at the validator. As a result, a passenger might move further into the cabin without having managed to pay the fare immediately upon entry.
"First and foremost, we need to fight those who do not pay for their ride, not those who will pay, but just not upon entry," said one regular bus user.