“Air Tickets Are a Disgrace, the Prosecutor Is Just a Spectator”: Surkhandaryo Governor’s Unexpected Statement

Surkhandaryo Region Governor Ulug‘bek Qosimov openly and sharply criticized the region’s transport links with the capital city of Tashkent, its deplorable road infrastructure, and the exorbitantly high prices of plane and train tickets.

The regional governor strongly condemned the indifference of the responsible organizations, emphasizing that ordinary people are facing unprecedented difficulties in reaching the capital.

“It is impossible to get through Boysun; we cannot even look people in the face”

The governor addressed the difficult situation on the M-39 international highway, the main route used by residents traveling to Tashkent:

“It is impossible to get through Boysun. Our taxi drivers and bus drivers are dissatisfied and are shouting in protest. Because of the condition of the roads, we are in a situation where we cannot even look people in the face,” Ulug‘bek Qosimov said.

Trains and stations: “Anyone who boards the train falls ill before reaching Tashkent”

Conditions in the railway sector also drew strong criticism from the regional governor. According to Qosimov, even basic amenities have not been provided in rail transport:

“There are absolutely no proper conditions on the railway. Anyone who boards the train falls ill before reaching Tashkent. Neither the cooling (air-conditioning) system nor the other facilities are working. There are neither tickets at the station nor proper conditions for people. On the commuter trains running from Termiz to Sariosiyo, it is completely impossible to transport people — there is no room for them and no proper conditions. In this situation, the Transport Prosecutor is simply sitting there as a spectator,” he added.

“You cannot find a ticket without connections”: The problem of air services and prices

Some of the sharpest criticism was directed at aviation and ticket prices. The governor condemned the doubling of airfares and the silence of the bodies that should be fighting monopolies:

“The issue of air tickets is an absolute disgrace! Prices have doubled. The organization called the Competition Committee (formerly the Monopoly Committee) is simply a spectator. How is an ordinary, unfortunate person supposed to travel? It has become impossible even to look at or purchase a ticket at these prices. In general, a system has been created in which it is impossible to find an air ticket without personal connections.”

These justified and sharp criticisms voiced by the regional governor require the relevant ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Transport and the Committee for the Development of Competition, to take prompt action.

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