🚎 75 years of electric transport in Kyrgyzstan: round table and anniversary programme

In the context of the launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport

16 January (Friday), 17:00 — 19:30. Free admission + Zoom

Address: Park Hotel Bishkek, 87 Orozbekov Street, 2nd floor, Ballroom.

13 January 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the launch of trolleybus transport in Kyrgyzstan, an important milestone in the history of urban transport.

In honour of this anniversary, we invite everyone to a festive event combining an expert round table and an entertainment programme on 16 January at 5 p.m. at 87 Orozbekova Street. For almost a century, trolleybuses have played a significant role in shaping the country’s transport infrastructure,providing environmentally friendly, affordable and reliable transport without a single exhaust emission and meeting the needs of every passenger, including those with limited mobility and children.

It is symbolic that this year marks the beginning of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, which aims to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, reduce emissions and improve the quality of urban mobility around the world. In this global context, Kyrgyzstan seeks to join the international agenda and initiate a systematic dialogue on the future of sustainable transport at the national level.

As part of the anniversary event, the expert round table entitled ‘75 Years of Electric Transport in Kyrgyzstan: Prospects and Solutions’ will be held, bringing together representatives of state and municipal authorities, the expert community, international organisations and the civil sector. Participants will discuss the current state and prospects for the development of electric transport, the environment and climate challenges. Particular attention will be paid to the contribution of electric transport to achieving sustainable development goals, reducing emissions, improving air quality and enhancing the quality of life in Kyrgyzstan’s cities. The event will be a step towards forming a common vision of the role of electric transport in the sustainable development of Kyrgyzstan’s cities.

Honoured guests will include employees of the trolleybus management company – we invite everyone who has ever worked in the electric mobility industry!

PROGRAMME:

Part One: Expert Round Table 

17:00 — 17:15 — Gathering, welcome speech. Speeches from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek City Hall (to be confirmed).

17:15 — 17:30 — ‘Knowledge about operation of urban electric transport: history and current state —  research fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Egor Muleev (Leipzig, Germany). (online) 

17:30 — 17:45 — Presentation about the UNDP KR ElectroMobility Project — Prof. Angel Aparicio. Since 2009, he is Professor of transport at the Department of transport, environment, and city and regional planning, Technical University of Madrid.  

17:45 — 18:00 — Presentations from OHCHR, EBRD, ADB (to be confirmed), Bir Duino — Kyrgyzstan

18:00 — 18:30 — Questions and discussion

Part Two: Anniversary

18:30 — 18:45 — Quiz on electric transport

18:45 — 19:30 — Musical gift and thanks to the veterans of the trolleybus management.

For online connection: https://zoom.us/j/96691749241?pwd=Q0kBk3YsRgbzolLEQJ8m83i5b8xMTF.1 

Organisers: #Bishkek Smog — @bishkeksmog, https://bishkeksmog.info/, +996500527484

Partners: Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (Leipzig, Germany), The Eurasian Climate Brief.