During the event, Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision Meder Mashiev emphasized the importance of the discussed topic, noting that air pollution from transport has become one of the main reasons for the deterioration of air quality in the country's cities.
Previously, the main focus was on air pollution during the heating season; however, recent studies, including an analysis by the World Bank and an assessment by UNEP, have shown that transport contributes significantly to pollution both in summer and winter.
Meder Mashiev
According to the ministry's data, as of 2024, there are 1 million 674 thousand 85 registered vehicles in the republic, of which 83 percent (1 million 392 thousand 737) are older than 15 years. In Bishkek, the number of registered vehicles is 426 thousand 946, of which 333 thousand 801 are also older than 15 years.
According to the city hall, there are more than 750 thousand vehicles in the city daily, while the road capacity is only about 350 thousand, which significantly exceeds the permissible load on the transport infrastructure.
The minister noted that poor fuel quality and the lack of alternatives to personal transport exacerbate the air pollution problem, requiring a comprehensive approach to its resolution.
He also reminded about the actions being taken in accordance with the president's decree "On Measures to Ensure Environmental Safety and Climate Resilience of the Kyrgyz Republic" to improve the ecological situation.
As part of a new interagency commission for improving air quality, which includes representatives from 25 ministries and agencies, as well as 8 deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh, work is underway to reduce atmospheric pollution and develop systematic solutions to environmental problems.
The minister also spoke about several practical measures that are already being implemented in the country.
Transition to Eco-Friendly Transport. Bishkek has received over 1,300 eco-friendly buses and 120 electric buses, which has reduced diesel fuel consumption by 100 tons per day. A total of 1,014 eco-friendly and electric buses are operating on the lines daily. In 2024, 3,535 electric vehicles were registered, and 44 charging stations were installed.
Improvement of the Monitoring System. In collaboration with Kyrgyzhydromet and with the support of the World Bank, 11 automatic stations in Bishkek, Osh, Kara-Balta, Tokmok, and Cholpon-Ata are being modernized, and eight manual and semi-automatic stations are being updated. The regulatory framework aimed at improving emission regulation and control is also being updated.
“This dialogue is another step in our consistent work. We plan to take concrete actions to reduce emissions from transport not only in Bishkek but also in Osh, Jalal-Abad, and other major cities in Kyrgyzstan,” concluded Meder Mashiev.
