Court rejects railway companies' appeal, orders to repay 1.3 billion UZS in fare overcharges for Fergana commuters

The court has upheld the decision of the Competition Committee ordering compensation for commuters in Fergana who were overcharged for suburban train tickets, according to a statement from the Committee’s press service.

The Competition Committee launched an investigation into the state-owned companies "Uztemiryulyulovchi" and "Shakhar Atrofida Yolovchi Tashish" in August 2024. The investigation revealed that the Fergana branches of these companies had imposed an unauthorized commission fee on 792,186 passengers, effectively inflating the ticket price beyond the legally set fare.

As a result of the investigation, a Special Commission within the oversight body ordered the companies to return 1.3 billion UZS in overpaid fares to consumers. The companies were also instructed to correct the violations and ensure such practices are not repeated in the future.

Both entities under "Uzbekistan Railways" disagreed with the Committee’s findings and attempted to challenge the decision in court. "Uztemiryulyulovchi" argued that the 12,000 UZS ticket fare had been approved by the company’s Fergana regional financial office, despite the actual cost of the journey being 30,000 UZS.

“However, multiple court rulings rejected the claims made by JSC "Uztemiryulyulovchi" and LLC "Shakhar Atrofida Yolovchi Tashish",” the Committee stated.

The Special Commission's orders remain in force. The companies are now obligated not only to refund the excess payments to consumers but also to pay a financial penalty.