In the first four months of 2026, more than 50,000 passengers were fined for not paying fares on Tashkent buses. This was announced on May 14 at a press conference held by Toshshahartransxizmat JSC.
Muhammadjon Qahorov, head of the State Institution for Monitoring and Control of Passenger Transportation, stated that 57 inspectors conduct daily raids on buses and stops. In 2025, 22,500 fare evaders were recorded, but in just four months of this year, the number exceeded 50,000. Analysis shows that over 90% of evaders are aged 16–30, with 70% being students. A letter has been sent to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and preventive work in universities began in May.
Shohruz Xodjiyev, advisor to the chairman of Toshshahartransxizmat on digitalization and AI implementation, said that artificial intelligence will be used to detect fare evaders. The Digital Transport Center under the Ministry of Transport spent three to four months developing the project. Since no ready-made global solution exists for identifying fare evaders via AI, a custom model had to be created.
Cameras installed inside buses will monitor passenger behavior. The AI will determine which door a passenger used, where they sat, and whether they paid. Fines will only be issued if non-payment is 100% confirmed. A challenge is that many passengers use family members' cards instead of their own, complicating identification.
Until full AI implementation, a two-stage system will operate. In the first stage, inspectors receive data from the ATTO system on passenger counts and payments, then board specific buses to fine evaders on the spot. In the second stage, AI will take over monitoring, but inspectors will still be needed to verify data.
Transport Ministry spokesperson Navruz Ashirmatov emphasized that payment culture must become a social responsibility. He stated that every passenger should understand that paying fares contributes to system development and better service quality.
Shohruz Xodjiyev called on citizens to monitor each other's payment behavior and confront evaders. “Let's teach payment culture together,” he said.
In April, 32,400 protocols were issued against fare evaders in Tashkent. In January, 11,502 passengers were fined, and in February, 10,280. According to Article 144 of the Administrative Liability Code, the fine for fare evasion is 1/10 of the basic calculation value, or 41,200 soums. Fining began on March 14, 2025. In 2025, revenue from bus passenger transportation in Tashkent increased by 16% to 644 billion soums, and daily passenger flow rose from 650,000 to 1.4 million.
Source: www.gazeta.uz