Qosimov raised the issues at a meeting in Jarkurgan district, where he instructed officials to improve conditions on intercity trains and refurbish passenger waiting areas at Sariosiyo Airport and railway stations across the region.

“People are getting sick before they even reach Tashkent”

Qosimov said the railway service between Surkhandarya and Tashkent was falling well short of acceptable standards.

“The conditions on these trains are simply unacceptable. People get on in Surkhandarya and are already feeling sick by the time they reach Tashkent. The cooling systems don’t work properly, the passenger facilities are inadequate, and there aren’t even enough tickets,” he said.

He also questioned whether the intercity trains serving Sariosiyo were fit for passenger travel, pointing to their poor condition.

Qosimov said the deteriorated state of the M39 highway, which links Surkhandarya with Tashkent, was putting additional pressure on taxi and bus services.

Governor questions airfares and ticket availability

Qosimov also took aim at airfares, saying ticket prices had become prohibitively expensive and were putting air travel beyond the reach of lower-income passengers.

“Our airfares are simply unacceptable. Prices have doubled. How is an ordinary person supposed to afford a flight? And you can’t even get a ticket without connections,” he said.

He called on the Competition Committee to carry out a comprehensive review of airfares and examine the markups applied by airlines.

The governor also questioned the way tickets are sold, calling for a transparent online system that would prevent preferential access through personal connections.

“Nobody is giving these people free rides. They pay for their tickets, so they deserve a proper service,” he said, criticizing what he described as inadequate treatment of passengers.

Qosimov further alleged that tickets with a nominal price of UZS 10 were being sold for UZS 25 because of artificial barriers, although he did not specify which services or routes he was referring to.

He instructed officials to bring intercity trains and services operating to Tashkent up to the required standard within one week.