On March 16, a hearing took place in court to consider the issue of overturning the decision of the Bishkek City Council. The court found that there were no violations in the management of municipal property and confirmed the legality of the transfer of the trolleybuses.
Activists express the opinion that this decision contradicts current legislation and international agreements; they also claim that it was made without considering the views of local residents and the lending bank.
Now the matter will be referred to specialized international committees dealing with issues of access to justice.Representatives of "BishkekSmog" also noted that in 2025, the city administration planned to convert the remaining trolleybuses, purchased with a loan of $23.5 million, into electric buses, using about 5 million soms from the budget. As of March 2026, the trolleybuses had not appeared on the routes.
In addition, activists are awaiting the results of the complaint being reviewed by an independent body accountable to the projects of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD NOPP) in April.
It was previously reported that the Bishkek City Court confirmed the decision to transfer one hundred trolleybuses to Osh.
The dismantling of the trolleybus network in Bishkek began in June 2024. Some trolleybuses were transferred to the mayors of Osh and Naryn; however, it was decided to cease operations in Naryn, as the transport turned out to be outdated, and repairs required spare parts that needed to be ordered from Russia, significantly increasing costs. Additionally, the Asian Development Bank, which is financing the electric bus project, stated that it did not require the replacement of trolleybuses with electric buses, which is an initiative of the city administration.
