Uzbekistan plans to buy back 30-year-old vehicles and penalize owners who keep them

Air pollution has become a pressing concern across the country in recent years, prompting public outcry and driving the government to introduce new measures. Environmental officials emphasize that transport networks remain a major source of atmospheric pollution, with outdated vehicles that fail to meet modern ecological standards causing the most significant damage to public health and the environment.

To address this issue, the government intends to establish an efficient system for the phased disposal and recycling of aging vehicles. Under the proposed framework, cars that have been on the road for three decades or longer will be appraised and purchased from their owners at current market rates.

Vehicle owners will be offered a choice between a direct cash payout or an electronic voucher. Those who opt for the electronic voucher can use it as a down payment to purchase a new, domestically manufactured vehicle under preferential terms. The voucher will act as a discount equivalent to its certified value, and buyers will be permitted to pay off the remaining balance on the new vehicle through an installment plan spanning more than one year.

For citizens who choose to keep their aging vehicles instead of handing them over for recycling, the ministry has proposed an annual ecological compensation fee. This penalty is set at 30 times the base calculating amount – a fiscal measure intended to accelerate the removal of high-emitting transport from Uzbekistan’s roads.