Starting from February 1, police officers began stopping old cars on the roads. If a car was manufactured before 1976, its license plate is immediately confiscated, and the owner is required to transport the vehicle to a towing service or a disposal site on their own.
The ban applies to all cars manufactured before 1976 in order to improve road safety, explained the inspection authorities.
A driver of an old "Volga" named Oibek expressed his dissatisfaction. Despite the fact that his car is in excellent condition, he is now prohibited from driving it. "Yesterday I visited the traffic police in Faizabad, and the inspector demanded that I replace the door handles, mirrors, and even the seats. He says the car must be as it was from the factory. This is extremely frustrating because my car is in perfect condition," he says.
According to Oibek, there could be exemptions for owners of such cars, especially if they are in good condition. "If people had the money, they would choose for themselves which cars to drive. The government is not making any concessions, and there are many like me," he adds.
The government of Uzbekistan explains the necessity of the ban by the high accident rate involving old cars. There are over 5.2 million registered vehicles in the country, of which about 88,000 are over 50 years old.
However, blogger and journalist Bobomurod Abdulla noted that in the last two years, there have only been 67 traffic accidents involving cars older than 50 years, while more than 18,500 incidents have been registered with newer vehicles. "This is only 0.4 percent of the total number of accidents. If we are talking about safety, we should pay attention to Damas vehicles, which account for 32 percent of all accidents," he emphasizes.
According to Abdulla, the new government decision will primarily affect the most vulnerable segments of the population who cannot afford new cars. Owners of old "Volgas" used for mini-logistics will also be affected.
"The ban specifically targets those vehicles that are actively used for cargo transportation. This makes the situation even more complicated. It seems that this ban is intended to promote the sales of Chinese mini-trucks," the journalist adds.
The authorities cite the non-compliance of old cars with modern environmental standards as the main reason for the ban. However, the decree does not specify concrete measures for the disposal of these vehicles, placing this responsibility on the owners.
