Bus drivers in Tashkent are working 240 hours per month, 70 hours more than the 170-hour norm stipulated by the Labor Code. Aziz Khujanov, chairman of the board of Toshshahartransxizmat, announced at a press conference on May 14 that to solve this problem, up to three drivers will be assigned to each bus.
The system currently has 1,987 buses and 3,832 drivers. About 200 additional drivers have been hired since March. Drivers wake up at 2:00-2:30 AM, undergo medical checks, and start their routes at 4:00-4:30 AM. According to Khujanov, the new system will allow drivers more rest and help prevent traffic accidents.
So far, 2,330 drivers have completed advanced training courses, and another 1,200 will be trained by year-end. A retraining program based on European standards is being implemented in cooperation with Deutsche Bank. Over 1,200 drivers have been trained, and monitoring shows they are not repeating previous mistakes.
A KPI system has been introduced since 2026: drivers analyze their daily errors at a monitoring center in the evening. A driver rating system is also in place: those who avoid accidents, receive no complaints, and adhere to schedules are rewarded with valuable gifts.
Shokhruz Khodjiyev, advisor to Toshshahartransxizmat, reported that 16 types of violations are monitored, 7 of which are detected by artificial intelligence. Violations include leaving the dedicated lane, speeding, using a phone, skipping stops, and rude behavior toward passengers.
In the first four months of 2026, 1,478 violations were recorded, 924 drivers were fined (5-30% of monthly salary), and 7 drivers were dismissed.
From July 1, the 1062 call center will expand. Currently, only 3 operators handle calls; in March, only 2,000 out of 6,000 calls were answered. A new professional contact center will start operating on June 1, with queues limited to 5 callers.
QR codes are being updated on every bus, allowing passengers to leave feedback about driver performance.
In 2025, 50 women completed training for category DE licenses; 28 passed exams and are now interning on routes. Transport Ministry spokesman Navruz Ashirmatov noted that previously women were not legally allowed to drive large buses. A project with UNDP aims to increase women's participation: 2 women are already driving buses independently, and 28 are about to start. In the Tashkent Metro, 15 women work as train drivers.
Source: www.gazeta.uz