Abdulaziz Aqqulov, Chairman of the Tourism Committee, announced at a press conference on May 15 that there are nearly 11,000 public toilets near gas stations, central parks, and tourist sites in Uzbekistan. Of these, 4,000 were newly built, while the rest were reconstructed or renovated.

Aqqulov highlighted the poor condition of toilets at gas stations, noting that station owners see no profit from them and therefore neglect maintenance. “We must understand that the main income of gas stations comes from other sources. If they earned money from toilets, they would keep them in good condition. Toilets at gas stations were introduced as an additional obligation based on government orders,” he said.

The committee chairman emphasized the importance of public oversight in addressing the issue. “Indeed, there are unpleasant situations in toilets along the roads. I often witness this myself. We need to monitor these situations together. I know there are separate organizations and working groups responsible for sanitary systems. When they inspect the toilets, everything looks fine. Maybe they prepare for inspections, I don’t know for sure. But when I see with my own eyes, the situation is as I described. Without public involvement, it will be difficult to achieve results,” he explained.

It is worth recalling that in 2022, the former Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage announced plans to implement a “sanitary revolution” at all tourist sites, airports, railway stations, and bus stations in Uzbekistan during 2022-2023, equipping them with modern toilets.

Source: www.gazeta.uz