Uzbekistan Lifts Long-Standing Ban on Women Bus and Truck Drivers

Uzbekistan has taken a major step toward gender equality in the transport sector by abolishing long-standing legal restrictions that prevented women from working as bus and heavy truck drivers.

For years, legislation barred women from driving passenger vehicles with more than 14 seats and freight vehicles over 2.5 tons, effectively excluding them from key transport professions. Analytical studies conducted under the UNDP/GEF-supported project «Tashkent – Accelerating Investment in Low-Emission Vehicles» (TAILEV) showed that these legal barriers, not a lack of skills or interest, were the main obstacle to women’s participation.

Following joint efforts by the project and the Ministry of Transport, the restrictions were fully removed in 2024 through Government Resolution No. 85. The reform aligns with Uzbekistan’s Constitution and earlier presidential decrees guaranteeing equal labor rights for women and men.

The decision has already led to tangible results. Tashkent Bus Company has hired the country’s first two female bus drivers, marking a historic milestone. In parallel, UNDP and the Ministry of Transport launched training programs to help women enter the profession. Under the TAILEV project, 50 women are being sponsored for professional bus driver training; 20 have already completed the courses and are preparing for Category «D» license exams.

Officials say the reform opens new opportunities not only in public transport but also in freight and logistics, a growing sector of the economy. The initiative is seen as a key example of how targeted policy change and skills development can translate into real employment opportunities and a more inclusive labor market in Uzbekistan.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the country’s foreign policy concept needs a revision, including an update of its priority areas.