Despite the complete cessation of trolleybus transport in Bishkek, local residents and activists continue to preserve the memory of the most environmentally friendly and spacious form of public transport.
In connection with the 75th anniversary of the trolleybus and the development of electric transport in general, they held an event dedicated to the beginning of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport.
Activists representing the initiative group #BishkekSmog, led by analyst Bermet Borubaeva, engaged in lengthy reflections on the reasons why the capital's authorities abandoned the existing system of convenient electric transport in favor of untested electric buses in our conditions. However, clear answers were not found.
Problems with venues won't spoil the celebration
As reported by the organizers, preparations for the anniversary were marred by numerous refusals and power outages. Three hotels in Bishkek refused to provide venues for discussions.
“Two days before the event, one hotel canceled our reservation, another did it less than a day in advance, and a third—three hours before the start! All refusals came without explanations. We were forced to send pre-trial claims to Park Hotel and B Hotel and are expecting compensations; otherwise, we will defend our rights in court,” the activist said.
During the event, the electricity was unexpectedly turned off in one of the conference halls. Fortunately, the hotel had generators, but it took about 20 minutes to restore the system and communication.
During the official part, expert reports on the future of electric transport, ecology, and urban development were presented. Discussions, questions, and quizzes also kept the audience engaged, despite the power and equipment outages. The evening concluded with a musical surprise—songs, dances, and loud applause.
The fate of the employees of MP "BTU" after liquidation
This year, the "Bishkek Trolleybus Administration" would have turned 75, but it was liquidated at the end of 2024. Employees who had devoted many years to the enterprise were sent on unpaid "eternal" leave. The management did not dismiss the employees, but there was no work for them, and many submitted resignation letters. As a result, more than 600 people were left without income. Some drivers were offered retraining for buses, but only a few managed to meet the new requirements, while the majority remained unemployed.
“Some retired, others underwent retraining, and some earn by doing odd jobs. For example, a former trolleybus driver is now selling chickens,” shares Bermet Borubaeva's observations.
Ludmila Kozlova, a trolleybus driver with 47 years of experience, fondly recalls her favorite route No. 17 to "Kozhavod" and back, as well as her colleagues.
“Now all of this is in the past, just like the trolleybuses. Now I work in a flower pavilion,” Ludmila says.
According to her, many former BTU employees have gone to Russia in search of work or for permanent residence. Some transitioned to the bus administration as dispatchers and mechanics. However, the memory of the friendly team will forever remain in the hearts of BTU employees.
The history of the trolleybus administration's creation
On the Bishkek mayor's website, one can still find the history of the first electric transport administration.
- In January 1951, the first trolleybus route was opened in Frunze, which became the basis for the development of an important type of public transport in the city.
- The first route No. 1 connected the railway station with Sverdlov Street (now the Academy of Sciences area) and passed through Soviet and Stalin Streets (now Chuy Avenue). The first driver was Nikolai Tagiltsev.
- That same year, route No. 2 was launched—from the station to Lenin Avenue (now Jibek Jolu). The total length of the lines was 8.4 kilometers, and four MTB-82D trolleybuses were used to transport passengers.
- In the first year, more than 3.2 million passengers used the service. Initially, 78 people worked in the trolleybus administration. By 1952, the network expanded to 17.4 kilometers, and the fleet grew to 10 vehicles. The first depot with complete infrastructure was built.
- In 2024, 616 people worked in BTU, servicing 11 routes with a fleet of 179 trolleybuses. The last update of the rolling stock occurred in 2018.
Chronology of the liquidation of trolleybuses in Bishkek by economist Marat Musuraliev (2024)
Copper wires: could they be the reason?
Economist Marat Musuraliev believes that copper wires represent significant value.
“These trolleybuses operated for more than half a century. There is a difference between accounting and market value. The accounting value is already zero, as the trolleybuses have long been depreciated,” he believes.
Nevertheless, quality copper wires cannot be disregarded. Today, their market price ranges from 700 to 900 soms per kilogram. According to activists' calculations, the total length of wires in Bishkek is about 210 kilometers, and their sale could bring in up to 2-3 million dollars.
The economist asks the question: where is this money?
Bermet Borubaeva reported that activists sent inquiries to local authorities about the fate of the wires but received no responses.
The lifespan of batteries in electric buses is limited
Marat Musuraliev added that trolleybuses were not originally replaced with electric buses but with buses with internal combustion engines. In other words, electric transport was replaced with transport that emits pollutants.
This is not progress, but regression. They are gradually transitioning to electric buses, but everyone knows that batteries tend to degrade over time.
Marat Musuraliev
He cited the example of smartphones and reminded everyone present how battery capacity has changed. Thus, over time, electric buses will require more and more recharging.
“Recently, solid-state batteries with a lifespan of 100,000 cycles have emerged, which can last up to a hundred years, but progress has not yet reached us,” the economist believes.
The expert noted that unlike trolleybuses, electric buses do not have wires, but they have a limited range. The weight of the batteries is quite significant—it is measured not in kilograms, but in hundreds of kilograms.
He also expressed hope that the issues of battery disposal were anticipated and resolved by the mayor's office.
“The new General Plan includes trams, but they also have wires. If the trolleybus wires were unacceptable, then how are tram wires any better? If a wired electric tram is to be returned, then the question arises: why was it necessary to remove the trolleybuses?” he questions.
Bermet Borubaeva added that according to the ADB project, electric buses were not supposed to replace trolleybuses but to complement them, increasing the diversity and quantity of public transport.
New initiatives in sustainable transport in Kyrgyzstan
Despite the closure of the trolleybus administration, the issue of implementing environmentally friendly transport in the capital continues through various programs and projects. UNDP is actively developing regulations that facilitate effective interaction with partners, including banks working on infrastructure projects.
One such project is the Asian Development Bank's initiative to implement electric buses in Kyrgyzstan. As part of the project, UNDP has already launched 21 electric buses and reconstructed two depots. Active work is underway with the Bishkek mayor's office.
Simultaneously, detailed engineering projects are being developed, and there are plans to enhance institutional capacity. Additionally, a project for electric transport in Karakol is being prepared, based on the experience of Bishkek.
The trolleybus is gone, but questions remain unanswered
The situation with the liquidation of trolleybuses in Bishkek has shown that under the guise of modernization and sustainable development, the city has lost a reliable, environmentally friendly, and socially significant form of public transport, without receiving clear solutions and convincing explanations in return.
Despite all the difficulties, refusals, and outages, civic activists, experts, and former BTU employees have proven that public memory and professional argumentation are stronger than administrative decisions: the questions of economic feasibility, energy security, battery disposal, as well as the fate of people and infrastructure remain unanswered.
The anniversary of the trolleybus has become not just an act of nostalgia but a reminder that sustainable transport is not a rejection of the past, but a thoughtful development where new technologies should complement, not destroy, effective systems that have already been in place.
