Raids against illegal minibus taxis are taking place in Dushanbe, as authorities believe they cause traffic jams and disrupt movement. The capital’s residents strongly disagree with this. This was confirmed by participants in a recent Asia-Plus surveyand people in the comments under it.
The discussion is about so-called shared taxis (10 somoni/seat) that travel along the most popular routes. In the city, you can often find such taxis with the signs “8”, “3”, “Sadbarg”, “Korvon”, etc. The main thing is that they are cheap and convenient, the residents note.
“They save the residents”
Among those surveyed, almost everyone supports the shared taxis and, moreover, supports their legalization. The main reason, of course, is the fare price. The authors’ spelling and punctuation have been preserved with minor corrections.
“Of course, the sahred taxis are affordable for many citizens, but taxis are also good when you’re in a hurry or traveling with the whole family. And not all taxi drivers are rude and ill-mannered, as they say, not all five fingers are the same,” believes Gulchera Asadullovna.
“Authorities move through the roads with green lights and are unlikely to have stood in traffic; 10-somoni taxis are very convenient and economical for the wallet,” confirms vvs_tj nickname user.
In their comments, people repeatedly noted the problems of public transport in Dushanbe.
“After 6 pm, buses and trolleybuses do not run around the city, their working day ends. How to get home? 10-somoni taxis come to the rescue. And you want to ban them? There’s no money for Dzhura taxis. Walk on foot? When will you start thinking about the people?” asks Ivannikova Svetlana.
And the taxis that do operate in the city, according to residents, are too expensive for most.
“Really? If you close them, we’ll be lost. They save the residents so much. Jura taxis are very expensive, and if you add waiting time during traffic jams, it costs 2-3 times more,” shares Zulfiya Khujageldiyeva.
“The shared taxis are a lifesaver. You can’t take regular taxis often, considering the traffic. If earlier it was possible to travel a certain route for 20 somoni, now, considering the traffic, it’s 30, 35 somoni. But with 10 somoni, it’s fine, and traffic isn’t an obstacle. Let’s at least sometimes think about people, considering our salaries,” expressed Dilya Anjirova.
“Leave these taxis alone! They are very convenient and affordable and cheap,” begs Otajon Khudoiberdiyev.
“The shared taxis are very convenient and reasonably priced. Sometimes, due to work, you have to use taxis several times a day, and in this case, they save you, while using regular taxis 5-6 times a day would be too expensive, even standing at a traffic light counts as traffic and increases the fare… They operate on a fixed route and don’t pick up clients from the curb like meter taxis, especially routes 3 and 8. They need monitoring, not the 10-somoni ones,” proposes Saodat Jahongirzoda.
Who is to blame for the traffic jams?
Another part of the commentators was amused by the reason for wanting to remove these taxis from the roads.
“Only the shared taxis cause traffic jams? Are there any drivers here? – traffic jams are created by everyone and everywhere these days. Minibuses, buses, taxi drivers (especially often), and ordinary tinted, expensive foreign cars, for which no fines will come because they’re someone’s ‘own’. Traffic jams are everywhere now. In any unclear situation in the city, a traffic jam occurs. Is the reason really the shared taxis?” wonders Siva Jalilov.
“Hmm, narrow roads don’t cause problems?” M.N. sarcastically comments.
Earn a living
Some residents simply share their pressing issues related to taxis.
“How green taxis deceive. I always travel the same route from work to home, and it costs me around 19 somoni with most meter taxis, a maximum of 21 somoni, and that’s rare with heavy traffic. But there are scammers, they don’t show the meter initially, and then say the amount is 28 or 30 somoni. That’s who needs to be dealt with,” suggests sitora20122023.
“These shared taxis are very convenient for me. They run much more frequently, and you quickly get where you need to go, especially if you’re late. If I see that I have time to wait for a bus/trolleybus and the approximate time needed for the route on this transport, I choose the bus. It’s a matter of budget and time planning.
the shared taxi drivers are just earning a living, some readers reminded.
“In Tashkent, millions of taxi drivers earn their bread without paying taxes, but here they say private drivers disrupt movement and create jams. It’s just silly. Let them create conditions so people can work and find their piece of bread,” writes user Rushdi Vatan.
“Everyone finds the shared taxis convenient – quick and handy, and those who work on taxis are just happy to feed their family. They’re deported from Russia. What’s left – only taxis. If you cut off their oxygen here, what’s left for them?” writes Gayratsho Rakhimov.
How to solve the problem?
Traditionally, among our readers, there are those who not only share personal stories or outrage but also offer alternatives.
“Let them launch more public transport and state minibuses around the city (like before). And the traffic will be free, and there will be income for the state budget,” believes Gulniso Qarachabekova.
“If you want to remove them so much, contact the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan to make the transport work until 2-3 am. How about that? You want to destroy something, give something else in return. And you don’t think about those who work until night, how are they going to get home…” shares user _alijonn7.
Some, as usual, cite examples from other countries.
“Other countries have solved the problem of space, but we can’t solve the taxi problem,” sarcastically comments rizojon86.
