Drivers of minibuses started returning to work. Press service of the Bishkek City Hall informed 24.kg news agency.
According to it, it is too early to talk about the end of the strike, but the process has begun. «Drivers started resuming work. We involved voluntary people’s patrol, law enforcement agencies in ensuring their safety,» the City Hall noted, but could not voice the exact number of drivers who resumed work.
The minibus drivers have already staged a strike in January. Then they demanded to increase the fare first to 15 soms, and then — to 19-20 soms. They proposed to increase the municipal buses and trolleybuses fare to 10 soms.
About 70 percent of drivers of minibuses did not show up for work on June 2. The strike continues for the 4th day in a row. The drivers demand to increase the fare. The townspeople cope with the traffic collapse on their own. Many give each other a ride in a private car, commercial entities and entrepreneurs offer their buses.
The City Hall offered three options for increasing fares, but it considers setting the cost of travel in municipal public transport at 11 soms, in buses of all classes of private transport companies (minibuses) — at 15 soms as the most acceptable. On June 1, the Ministry of Economy received a positive response to the analysis of the regulatory impact of the project. The City Hall has submitted a draft resolution to the Bishkek City Council. Acting Mayor of Bishkek Baktybek Kudaibergenov met with the heads of associations and companies-carriers and said that the issue of tariffs for travel in minibuses in Bishkek will be resolved in September. The Bishkek City Council has posted the draft resolution for public discussion.
