«There will not be any concessions to the carrier companies from the Bishkek City Administration in connection with the strike of minibus drivers,» press service of the Bishkek City Administration informed 24.kg news agency.
The reason for the suspension of the work of the minibuses was reportedly the entry into force on April 1, 2018 of the government’s decree on imposing fines for the lack of insurance certificates.
According to the Law On Compulsory Insurance of Civil Liability of a Carrier to Passengers, every seat in a minibus must be insured, the cost of one seat is 136.60 soms for a year.
According to the Bishkek City Administration, there are 40 companies engaged in transportation of passengers on 120 routes in Bishkek.
At least 2,700 minibuses serve their routes daily. Most of them are not insured.
Press service of the Bishkek City Administration
The Transport Department of the city, in accordance with the established procedure, informed the passenger carriers of the resolution in January 2018.
From March 26 to March 30, 2018, the department conducted appropriate work with carriers on the need to insure civil liability of the carrier to passengers by purchase of an insurance certificate.
Private carriers, in violation of the obligations, expressing dissatisfaction with the entry into force from April 1, 2018 of compulsory civil liability insurance and refusing to comply with this decision, without notifying the Bishkek City Administration, did not come to work today.
In general 2017, at least 2,269 facts of traffic incidents have been registered in Bishkek, including 252 traffic accidents, in which two people were killed. For the same period of 2016, at least 136 cases with eight deaths were recorded.
«In 2017, the facts of traffic accidents increased, and the number of citizens, who received various injuries, also increased. So, in 2016, at least 211 people were injured, in 2017, this number increased to 408 injured,» concluded the Bishkek City Administration.
Traffic collapse occurred in Bishkek today. The drivers of the minibuses did not go to work due to the imposition of fines for the lack of passenger insurance.
Minibus drivers also require an increase in tariffs, reduction of fines, as well as permission to turn from the second lane.
