— Good afternoon, Sadyr Nurgozhoevich! Recently, there has been a trend of closing private driving schools and opening state ones. Why was this decision made?
— Good afternoon! I initiated reforms in this area because the situation requires improvement. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there have been no significant changes in driver training and vehicle registration. Initially, this system was under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, later management was transferred to the State Registration Service, but unfortunately, corruption remained an issue regardless of changes in leadership.
We started the reforms by creating our own state license plates, driver's licenses, and vehicle registration certificates, which were previously purchased abroad.
Despite some skepticism, we have succeeded. All information is now entered into a unified system, and the process is fully digitized. The main task now is to reform driving schools.
— Would it have been possible to carry out reforms while allowing private driving schools to continue operating?
— Private driving schools are generally not interested in quality driver training; their goal is profit. Citizens often simply submitted documents and received certificates without undergoing proper training, and ultimately obtained driver's licenses without much difficulty.
The corrupt scheme actively operated alongside the state enterprise "Unaa," which is responsible for issuing licenses.
Exams rarely had failures, as many simply paid bribes.
Now, with the introduction of strict controls at "Unaa," many graduates of private driving schools cannot pass the exams, failing attempts 10 to 15 times. The reason is that their training was insufficient, and no one cared about the quality of education.
Today, there are many young people with driver's licenses but without driving skills, who claim: "I will buy a car — I will learn."
— Are the rising traffic accidents related to this situation?
— The causes of road accidents are varied, but one of the key reasons is the low requirements for driver training.
Every year in Kyrgyzstan, more than 900 people die in traffic accidents, and in some years this figure exceeds a thousand. This is a tragedy; even in war, not as many people die as we lose on the roads.
The main causes of the increase in accidents are corruption in the driver training system and poor-quality education, which needs to be acknowledged.
— What advantages do state driving schools provide?
— State driving schools have created all the necessary conditions for training. We will have a modern training base, new equipment, and qualified specialists. We will publish our own textbooks. Training will include not only driving but also the technical aspects of the vehicle, traffic rules, and driving culture.
Here, human life comes first, and the safety of citizens is the state's main priority.
— Owners of private driving schools are unhappy about the closure of their businesses. How will you respond to this?
— We warned them in advance about the termination of licenses after 2026 and the need for reforms. But many continued to operate under the old scheme, seeking to make quick profits while ignoring their responsibility for training.
This irresponsible behavior cannot go unnoticed. We will not leave specialists from private schools without work; we will offer them positions in state driving schools.
— Some express dissatisfaction with the duration of training, claiming that 10 months is too long.
— This is an attempt to preserve their business. They say that training will be expensive and lengthy. However, the cost will not be excessive; calculations are currently being made. Claims of costs between 100,000 and 150,000 soms are just rumors.
Nevertheless, when a person sits behind the wheel, they are responsible for their loved ones: parents, family, children. Mederbek, would you trust someone without proper training to drive a car?
— No, of course, I wouldn’t.
— Exactly, the safety of your loved ones is of utmost importance. Private driving schools, focusing on business, issued certificates without proper driver training. For us, the safety of every citizen, the level of knowledge, and driving experience are important.
Obtaining a driver's license is a lifetime event. Therefore, it is better to spend more time on training, which will ultimately benefit and ensure the safety of not only your loved ones but also other road users.
Unfortunately, cases where people who bought licenses become the cause of traffic accidents happen every day.
— Is it possible to include driving education in the school curriculum?
— Yes, this has already been done. Starting this September, a course on traffic rules will be introduced in schools.
Our children will begin studying traffic rules from an early age. Starting next year, high school graduates will be able to take the exam and obtain licenses without additional training. State driving schools will train those who have already completed their school education.
I appeal to all citizens: do not succumb to the panic created by those who are defending their private interests. Over time, everything will fall into place; it just requires a little patience.
— Thank you for the conversation!
The interview was conducted by the director of KNA "Kabar," Mederbek Shermetaliev.
