Several months after the dismantling of bus stops with shops in Tashkent, the installation of new ones has begun. The scorching summer heat and photos circulating on social media have intensified debates around the stops. Users criticize that while the old stops were removed, the new ones are not yet fully operational.
On July 21, officials from the Tashkent city administration organized a press tour for journalists along the bus stops. During the event, new stops near Dream Park and the Palace of Arts 'Friendship of Peoples', as well as stops with shops near the Oktepa interchange on Lutfi Street, were inspected. Officials provided explanations on the installation process and responded to criticism on social media.
Olloyor Norbutayev, head of the department at the Traffic Management Center under the Tashkent city administration, stated that investors for the construction of new stops were selected through an open electronic auction. The competition was held in two stages. Initially, 36 stops were put up for auction as a trial, with 3 business entities participating. In the next stage, 230 commercial stops and 230 social stops to be built alongside them — a total of 460 objects — were auctioned. Two entrepreneurs participated, and EWI Snacks LLC was declared the winner.
Norbutayev noted that the process of transferring stops to entrepreneurs is carried out through an electronic auction without human intervention. 'Stops are put up for electronic auction based on state standards and requirements set by the presidential decree (PP-110). During the auction, information about participants is not visible. Only after the winner is determined is the contract automatically concluded. There is no human factor in this process,' he said.
Gulnoza Kasimova, head of the information service of the Tashkent city administration, emphasized that information about the auction winner EWI Snacks LLC is not confidential. 'This data is openly published on the E-auction platform. Also, the name of the winning company is given on the official pages of the Traffic Management Center... Anyone can obtain this information independently,' she said.
During the event, Jahongir Abdurakhmanov, head of EWI Snacks LLC, gave an interview to journalists. According to him, the company participated in an open auction held by the Tashkent city administration in February 2026 and won 230 stops. Their total annual rent is 1.3 billion soums. The main goal is to pay the rent, equip the stops with new types according to a standard design and approved concept at their own expense, and then operate them. The invested funds are planned to be recouped through advertising services and vending machines.
Abdurakhmanov stated that all maintenance costs for the stops are borne by the company. They ensure cleanliness, empty trash bins, wash and clean the stops. In case of vandalism, repairs are also carried out at their expense. Additionally, they have installed internet, electricity, and all communication networks for electronic displays showing bus arrival times at their own cost.
Abdurakhmanov noted that the average construction cost of one stop is about 140 million soums, and monthly maintenance costs are 2.5-3 million soums. He also commented on proposals for air-conditioned stops, saying that international experience shows a gradual abandonment of such solutions as they have not proven effective. 'A stop is not a place where people stay for a long time. A passenger usually waits for the bus for 5-10 minutes. For an air conditioner to work efficiently, the stop must be enclosed, but due to constant entry and exit, maintaining the internal temperature is difficult,' he said.
Abdurakhmanov added that the company has undertaken to create green areas proportional to the total area of the rented stops. The total area of the current 230 stops is approximately 3,400 square meters. Therefore, they are obliged to create a green area of the same size in Tashkent, plant trees, and maintain them in the future.
Source: www.gazeta.uz