Authorities in Uzbekistan continue to uncover alarming instances of gross safety violations involving the transportation of young children to preschool institutions. In the Khatyrchi district of the Navoi region, traffic police intercepted a Damas minivan transporting an astonishing 33 children to a private kindergarten, highlighting a persistent disregard for basic transportation laws despite ongoing official crackdowns.
Key Takeaways: A Damas vehicle in the Navoi region was found illegally carrying 33 children, with both the driver and the private kindergarten director having previously faced penalties for identical infractions. Ministry of Interior statistics show that hundreds of similar violations involving thousands of children were uncovered during recent targeted safety raids across the country.
According to the regional road safety department, the staff and driver involved in the latest Navoi incident had previously been issued official warnings and submitted written explanations following prior offenses. Despite this, they willfully chose to repeat the dangerous practice. In a separate incident during the same operations, officers intercepted another vehicle carrying two toddlers unrestrained on the front passenger seat, compounding the severe risks to minor passengers.
Similar reckless transport methods have been documented across multiple regions of Uzbekistan. In September, traffic police in the Jizzakh region stopped two separate Damas vehicles, each carrying 28 kindergarten children. Earlier, a tragic accident in the Andijan region involving a severely overloaded Chevrolet Tracker resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl and a prison sentence for the driver. Another fatal crash in the Navoi region claimed the life of a family kindergarten director who was transporting 14 children inside a compact Matiz.
Government bodies have attempted to curb these violations through heightened patrols, awareness campaigns in local communities, and official meetings. Ministry data from May revealed nearly 6,000 children transported in blatant violation of passenger limits during brief inspection periods. Proposed countermeasures include mandatory transport licensing, the installation of GPS tracking and interior cameras, digital monitoring platforms, and harsher penalties for offenders.
Nevertheless, recurring violations by the same individuals raise serious doubts regarding the efficacy of current preventative measures. Observers question whether administrative warnings and standard penalties are sufficient to deter kindergarten operators and drivers from placing dozens of children in mortal danger on a regular basis.
Source: podrobno.uz