Abasbek Dorombaev, head of the public organization "Kyrgyz Hovo Transport," proposed the introduction of identification signs on the windows of right-hand drive cars. He believes that this innovation will help increase driver vigilance and simplify the work of law enforcement agencies, which in turn should lead to a reduction in the number of road traffic accidents and save lives.
“Some leaders of the State Traffic Safety Department have already supported my initiative. Statistics indicate that the accident rate among right-hand drive cars is almost five times higher than that among left-hand drive cars. There are over 1 million right-hand drive vehicles in the republic, and 21% of all traffic accidents are associated with them,” he noted.
Dorombaev also reminded that the use of right-hand drive cars as taxis is prohibited in Kyrgyzstan; however, many drivers continue to work in this sector.
“It would be reasonable to mark right-hand drive cars so that passengers are aware of the risks, especially when choosing a taxi,” the expert added.
According to him, the installation of identification signs is not a derogatory measure but merely meets the requirements of right-hand traffic in the country and aims to ensure the safety of all road users.
In addition, Dorombaev proposed to install cameras for photo and video recording at all pedestrian crossings, intersections, as well as near schools, kindergartens, and universities in Bishkek. He pointed out that examples from neighboring Kazakhstan vividly demonstrate the scale of the problem.
“In Almaty, the population is about 3 million, while in Bishkek it is about 1.32 million, but the number of accidents in Almaty is significantly lower. This indicates that the issue is not only in the quantitative ratio of vehicles but also in the organization of road safety. We need both identification signs and a system of total monitoring. Constant control over speed limits and traffic rules is a vital measure, especially in conditions of increasing traffic flow. Even inexperienced drivers start to be more attentive after receiving a fine. Digitalization is ongoing, and the implementation of such systems has become relevant,” he concluded.
