During a meeting of the parliamentary committee on budget, economic, and fiscal policy, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Yrysbek Bariyev, announced the upcoming implementation of online payment for tunnels within the next two months.
Bariyev highlighted that 1.1 million vehicles pass through the tunnels on the Bishkek-Osh highway annually, generating 157 million soms in toll revenue in 2023. The new program aims to eliminate corruption by enabling toll payments through QR codes and cards, removing the need for cashiers.
This initiative follows a previous warning by Bariyev in February 2023, where he stated that if toll payment automation at the "Sosnovka" and "Kara-Kul" checkpoints is not completed by summer, he would resign.
Officials have pledged to automate toll collection at the To-Ashuu tunnel since 2017, aiming to streamline the process and reduce the number of beneficiaries entitled to toll exemptions.
