Taxi drivers in the capital are sounding the alarm over what they describe as unfair reforms after city authorities limited taxi licenses to only four companies. Previously, 12 companies operated in the city.

Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service, known locally as Radio Ozodi, says drivers now say they are being forced to re-sign contracts with the licensed companies, which charge significantly more — up to 100 somonis daily, regardless of whether a driver works that day.

Sohibnazar Nazarov, who took a bank loan to buy a car, says his former employer Yak Taxi shut down. He’s now required to join a new company, ‘80 00’, and pay a fixed daily fee.

“They sent us SMS messages saying the company closed.  We had to get documents proving we have no debts just to switch to ‘80 00’. Even if we don’t work, we pay 100 somonis. Most of us have loans and can’t keep up,” he told Radio Ozodi.

Previously, drivers paid about 10% of their income to taxi companies. Now, they say they must pay fixed fees, while still covering personal loans — often over 7,500 somonis per month.

“We can’t feed our families, buy anything for our kids. If they reduced the fee to 50 somonis, it would help. This is too much,” said Nazarov.

The city’s May 2 directive approved operations for Eco Taxi, Olucha-Avto, Koviyon, and Safo Taxi, authorizing each to run 3,000 vehicles.  Companies like Rakhsh Taxi and Talco-Persia were excluded.

Driver Bakhtiyor Ibrohimov says the rules are too rigid: “Even if you’re sick, you still owe 100 somonis. That’s what we’re told.”

Qudratsho Khazonov added: “We don’t know how to work anymore. Traffic police are taking all our documents.”

Transport authorities have not commented. Ownership of the newly licensed companies is also unclear.

In response to a formal inquiry, the national transport regulator said no companies had been banned and that the quota system is set by the city government. However, drivers report increasing pressure.

Drivers also face pressure to switch to electric vehicles under Dushanbe’s green transport policy.  In recent years, older cars were banned, and authorities now expect the entire fleet to transition to EVs.

As Dushanbe’s transport policy becomes increasingly centralized and demanding, taxi drivers warn that without relief, many of them will be driven off the road — not by competition, but by regulation.