Decline in cash usage prompts Tashkent Metro to install ticket terminals

The Tashkent Metro has announced the closure of cash fare payment counters at several stations.

According to the metro’s press service, “observations and long-term analysis” revealed a sharp decline in the number of paper tickets sold at station counters. The decision affects stations with a low share of passengers paying in cash:

On the Chilanzar Line: Mirzo Ulugbek, Xalqlar Dostligi, Paxtakor, Hamid Olimjon, Pushkin
On the Uzbekistan Line: Dostlik, Tashkent, Oybek, Tinchlik
On the Yunusabad Line: Shahriston, Bodomzor, Minor, Abdulla Qodiriy

As part of a pilot project, the ticket office in one vestibule of each of these stations will be closed. In its place, automated terminals for selling QR tickets will be installed for trial use.

The metro administration noted that passengers now have access to more than ten payment options — including ATTO cards, bank cards, mobile applications, and even biometric payment methods.

They also highlighted that non-cash payments are significantly cheaper: 1,700 UZS versus 3,000 UZS for a paper QR ticket. As a result, the number of passengers using cash has continued to decline.

According to metro estimates, when QR tickets were first introduced to replace tokens, 45–50% of passengers used them. Today, that figure has dropped to just 6–7%.