In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, buses now require card tap at entry

In Tashkent, the practice of riding buses without paying has become increasingly difficult to maintain, not due to a sudden crackdown, but because the system for detecting non-payment has become significantly more precise. Since early September, the number of administrative protocols issued to passengers who failed to validate their tickets has risen sharply, with the daily average jumping from 350 in August to over 800 in late October. This shift marks a documented change in how public transport access is regulated in Uzbekistan's capital. The core of the change is procedural: passengers must now tap their transport or bank cards on the validator immediately upon entering the bus, rather than at the point of exit or upon request. According to Decision No. 276 of the Cabinet of Ministers, effective September 1, this requirement was formalized to eliminate ambiguity regarding when payment is due. A passenger who boards a bus without validating their card is now classified as traveling without a ticket, regardless of intent or previous informal norms. Blocking the gap: How validation windows were closed The enforcement mechanism evolved in stages. While the September rule established the timing of payment, a second measure introduced on October 1 addressed the loophole that allowed late validation. When inspectors entered a bus to conduct checks, the in-vehicle validators were temporarily blocked for the duration of the inspection.