On September 4, traffic police officers in the Yashnabad district of Tashkent stopped a white Damas minivan on Ohangaron Street for inspection, according to the city police department.

The inspection revealed that the vehicle was carrying far more passengers than permitted — a total of 25 kindergarten children. When checking the driver's documents, officers found that he did not possess a valid driver's license.

It was established that the driver had previously been stripped of his driving rights by a court decision for driving under the influence of alcohol. Despite this, he again violated the law, endangering the lives of children.

The driver apologized to the children's parents and kindergarten staff for the risk he had created and pledged to comply with the law in the future. The vehicle was impounded and taken to a penalty parking lot.

This incident highlights a persistent problem in Uzbekistan: the unsafe transportation of children in vehicles exceeding their capacity. In May, a tragic accident in the Nurota district involved a Matiz carrying 14 kindergarten children, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to the children.

Following that incident, the traffic safety department identified 125 cases of children being transported in overcrowded vehicles between May 1 and May 8. In some instances, Damas minivans carried up to 25-28 children, and Spark cars up to 18.

Additionally, in the Khojaabad district of Andijan region, a driver transporting 21 kindergarten children in a Tracker was involved in a crash that killed a 6-year-old girl and injured 7 others. The court sentenced the driver to 3 years of restricted freedom and a 2-year driving ban.

Despite regular warnings and enforcement operations by authorities, such violations continue to occur frequently, posing a serious threat to children's safety on the roads.

Source: www.gazeta.uz