Why did 2025 become a turning point for the taxi industry?
The year 2025 marked a milestone for passenger transportation in the country, demonstrating unprecedented growth in the legal taxi market. According to data released by the press service of the Tax Committee, the turnover of the so-called “white” taxi market increased by 63 percent over twelve months, surpassing 9.62 trillion soums, which is roughly equivalent to 800 million US dollars.
What factors drove this rapid growth?
The surge is directly linked to drivers leaving the shadow economy and the large-scale integration of digital taxi platforms with state tax systems. While only 155 taxi aggregators were transmitting data to tax authorities a year earlier, their number reached 224 by the end of 2025. This enabled the registration of a record 479 million trips, a figure that is 49.6 percent higher than the previous year.
How are passengers paying for rides?
Although payment patterns are gradually evolving, cash still dominates the market. Passengers paid drivers 6.74 trillion soums in cash, accounting for 70.2 percent of total turnover. Cashless payments reached 2.87 trillion soums, representing 27.8 percent. At the same time, the average fare increased by 8.3 percent, exceeding the 20,000-soum threshold per ride.
Who works in the taxi sector today?
Taxi services have become one of the largest sources of income for self-employed citizens. A total of 574.6 thousand drivers now operate via online platforms, which is 15.3 percent more than a year earlier. Most drivers are concentrated in the capital region. The typical taxi driver is a man aged between 30 and 50 — this group numbers 399.6 thousand people (59.1 percent). Drivers under 30 account for one third of the total (189.5 thousand), while those over 50 represent 7.9 percent. Female participation is also rising: the number of women drivers grew by 14.5 percent to 4.72 thousand.
How evenly are incomes distributed?
Earnings in the taxi industry remain highly uneven. More than half of drivers use taxi services as a side job, earning up to 5 million soums annually. Specifically, 27.7 percent earned less than 1 million soums, while 25.5 percent reported incomes between 1 and 5 million. Another significant group — 25 percent of drivers — earned between 10 and 50 million soums.
Are there high-income professionals?
Yes, a smaller but notable segment operates at a much higher level. More than 15.5 thousand drivers (around 2.69 percent) reported incomes exceeding 100 million soums, placing them in the turnover tax category. Overall, taxi aggregators contributed 128.2 billion soums to the state budget during the year, nearly half of which — 63.6 billion soums — came from value-added tax.
What vehicles dominate the taxi fleet?
Local automotive brands continue to dominate city streets. The Chevrolet Cobalt remains the most popular taxi model, holding 23.7 percent of the market. It is followed by Nexia (20.7 percent), Lacetti (16.9 percent), Spark (11.6 percent), and Matiz (8.1 percent). Despite global trends and state incentives, electric vehicles still occupy a modest 1.9 percent share of the taxi fleet.
How old are the cars, and what about taxi culture?
The age structure of vehicles reflects active fleet renewal in recent years, yet older cars remain common. Vehicles aged between 1 and 5 years handle the majority of trips, while cars under one year old account for 4.3 percent. At the same time, 26.5 percent of taxis have been in service for more than 10 years, raising concerns about comfort and safety. In contrast to countries like Japan, where taxi doors open automatically as a matter of etiquette and hygiene, taxi culture in Uzbekistan remains traditional. Passengers typically open doors themselves, and the most popular seat is still the front passenger seat — a rarity in many Western countries.