Formation and Development Trends of The Passenger Transportation Services Market in Uzbekistan

Abstract

The passenger transportation services market of Uzbekistan has travelled a long trajectory from the post-Soviet contraction of the early 1990s to the multi-modal, digitally mediated ecosystem observed today. Drawing on official statistics, ministerial reports and corporate disclosures for the period 2018-2024, this article reconstructs the formation phase of the market and identifies the key drivers of its current development trends. Quantitative analysis reveals a compound annual growth rate of 3 % in total passenger journeys during 2018-2024, strong surges in metro and air ridership, measured gains for rail, and rapid formalisation of taxi services through ride-hailing platforms. Qualitative examination situates those trends within the wider context of government liberalisation policies, infrastructure investment and the diffusion of digital technologies. The discussion highlights unresolved challenges such as the persistent dominance of private automobiles, capacity constraints in urban transit, and the environmental cost of a road-oriented modal split. Recommendations are offered on data-driven regulation, fiscal incentives for public transport and strategic human-capital development.