She also made a comparison with Bishkek, where one can travel almost anywhere in the city for 20 soms. "Why not set a uniform price for travel within the village, considering that the government has merged our two villages?" the reader asked.Additionally, she pointed out that many drivers do not take into account that schoolchildren should pay less for travel and charge them the same amount as adults.
Periodically, Kaktus.media receives complaints about inflated travel prices. The Ministry of Transport is supposed to monitor the situation; however, as journalists found out, it does not set fares but can influence driver discipline.
During the investigation, the editorial team studied how fares are formed and who controls them, as well as the current prices for travel in the Chui region.
Fare Setting Process
Let’s start with who is responsible for setting prices for public transportation.Issues related to fares in Bishkek are resolved by the city hall and the Bishkek city council. At the same time, local authorities are responsible for setting prices for suburban and intercity routes.
The price is set by local councils, and any changes to the fares are only possible with their consent. Thus, transport companies or individual drivers do not have the right to raise prices independently.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications does not participate in determining fares but monitors compliance with the rules.
What to do in case of inflated prices?
Monitoring compliance with fares is carried out by the Chui-Bishkek territorial department of the ground and water transport department under the Ministry of Transport.In case of a violation, it is necessary to indicate the route number, bus number, as well as the date and time of the incident.
You can also file a complaint with local authorities, such as the city hall or the ayil okmotu, which are also obliged to monitor compliance with established fares.
Current Travel Fares
Here are the current fares for suburban routes in the Chui region.Panfilov District:
- Chaldovar - Bishkek - 110 soms;
- Chaldovar - Kara-Balta - 50 soms;
- Chaldovar - Voznesenovka - 40 soms;
- Chaldovar - Poltavka - 60 soms;
- Chaldovar - Petrovka - 70 soms;
- Chaldovar - Belovodskoye - 80 soms;
- Chaldovar - Sadovoe - 85 soms;
- Chaldovar - Aleksandrovka - 90 soms;
- Chaldovar - Sokuluk - 100 soms;
- Chaldovar - Kainydinsky turn - 30 soms;
- Chaldovar - Partsyz - 25 soms;
- Chaldovar - Cholok-Aryk - 20 soms;
- Chaldovar - Salkyn - 20 soms;
- within Chaldovar - 15 soms;
- Kainy - Bishkek - 80 soms;
- Kainy - Kara-Balta - 40 soms.
- Kara-Balta - Bishkek (express) - 90 soms;
- Kara-Balta - "Dordoy" market (express) - 100 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Bishkek (regular) - 80 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Poltavka - Novonikolaevka - 25 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Petrovka - 35 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Belovodskoye - 50 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Sadovoe - 55 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Aleksandrovka - 60 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Sokuluk - 60 soms;
- Kara-Balta - Shopokov - Malovodnoe - 70 soms.
- Belovodskoye - Bishkek - 55 soms;
- Belovodskoye - Sokuluk - 35 soms;
- Belovodskoye - Petrovka - 25 soms;
- Belovodskoye - Kara-Balta - 50 soms;
- Belovodskoye - Panfilovskoye - 60 soms;
- Belovodskoye - Chaldovar - 80 soms.
- Sokuluk (within the district) - 15 soms;
- Sokuluk - Bishkek - 35 soms;
- Sokuluk - Malovodnoe - 20 soms;
- schoolchildren's fare within the district - 10 soms;
- Sokuluk - Belovodskoye - 35 soms;
- Sokuluk - Petrovka - 50 soms;
- Sokuluk - Kara-Balta - 60 soms;
- Sokuluk - Voznesenovka - 70 soms;
- Sokuluk - Panfilovskoye - 80 soms;
- Sokuluk - Partsyz - 90 soms;
- Sokuluk - Chaldovar - 100 soms.
- Lebedinovka - Novopokrovka - 30 soms;
- Lebedinovka - Kirgyshelk - 40 soms;
- Lebedinovka - Luxembourg - 50 soms;
- Lebedinovka - Kant - 50 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Aral - 30 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Hydrobuilder - 40 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Ken-Bulun - 50 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Ivanovka - 50 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Krasnaya Rechka - 60 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Kenesh - 60 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Budyonovka - 60 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Dmitrievka - 65 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Kant - 70 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Luxembourg - 70 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Kirgyshelk - 75 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Novopokrovka - 80 soms;
- Tokmok (bus station) - Lebedinovka - 80 soms.
- Chon-Kemin - Bishkek - 250 soms;
- Chon-Kemin - Tokmok - 200 soms;
- Chon-Kemin - Kemin - 100 soms;
- Fare between villages in the Chon-Kemin district - 20 soms.
Increase in the Number of Minibuses
The problem of insufficient public transport is also relevant. Not only in Bishkek but also in the Chui region, passengers face difficulties, especially in the evening when it is hard to leave the capital. Sometimes it seems that appeals to the media do not yield results; however, this is not the case.Government agencies take into account citizens' dissatisfaction with public transport and take measures. For example, there have been numerous complaints on social media about the lack of minibuses after 7:00 PM on the Bishkek – Tokmok route. Passengers had to get home by taxi.
The Ministry of Transport reported that monitoring revealed that on Fridays and Saturdays, the number of passengers on this route exceeds normal levels. To address the issue, a meeting was held with transport providers, and a decision was made to increase the number of trips.
If necessary, additional minibuses will be dispatched beyond the established schedule.
