In an effort to improve public transport services in the Khorezm region, 10 new-generation hybrid trolleybuses have been purchased for the Urgench-Khiva route, the Ministry of Transport reported.

The 10 hybrid trolleybuses, manufactured by China's Yutong company, were acquired through credit funds from Uzsanoatqurilishbank JSC.

The new rolling stock is planned to be deployed on a trolleybus route connecting the recently established Urgench International Airport, Urgench railway station, and Khiva railway station.

According to the ministry, this will reduce the interval between trolleybuses on the Urgench-Khiva-Urgench route from 25 minutes to 12 minutes.

The Urgench-Khiva trolleybus route is the only operating trolleybus system in Uzbekistan. The introduction of the new rolling stock is expected to increase service frequency and improve transport quality for passengers.

In the Khorezm region, fare payment on public transport is being gradually transitioned to a fully electronic format. In the first phase, from July 1, cashless payment was introduced on bus routes SHI-4, SHI-5, SHI-7, SHI-13, SHI-18, SHI-19, and SHI-28, as well as on trolleybus route T1 "Urgench city — Khiva city." In the second phase, this system will be implemented on remaining bus and trolleybus routes after gross contracts are formalized. The fare has been set at 3,000 soums.

In November last year, some social media users speculated that trolleybuses between Urgench and Khiva would be replaced by electric buses. Navruz Ashirmatov refuted this claim in a comment to Gazeta.uz, stating that the country's only trolleybus network would instead be expanded.

In March 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that the trolleybus interval would be halved.

Source: www.gazeta.uz