Transportation

Driving Hazards:  Traffic accidents involving serious injury to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are common. Drunk driving and hit-and-run accidents are significant problems.

• Many city roads are hazardous due to potholes, uncovered manholes, poor lighting, and pedestrians ignoring oncoming traffic.
• Exercise particular caution and use defensive driving techniques, especially at night and on holidays and to avoid hazardous road conditions.
• Drivers often speed on the newly upgraded roads that connect main cities and towns.
• Many local drivers do not stop at red lights, pass vehicles when it is dangerous or prohibited to do so, drive into oncoming traffic, and do not stop for pedestrians.
• There is no roadside assistance infrastructure.
• Mountain roads in the Kyrgyz Republic are often narrow and treacherous, and may close without notice due to snow, ice, or rockslides. Guardrails and barriers are often missing.
• The road between Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, is especially unsafe at night or during poor weather. Travel on this route after dark is restricted for U.S. Embassy personnel.
• See our Road Safety page for more information.

Traffic Laws: You must obey all local traffic laws.

• Traffic police have been known to demand payment of arbitrary "fines" for purported infractions. Payment of traffic fines should be made at local banks.  Some police vehicles now offer terminals for individuals with bank cards to pay their fines immediately.
• Passengers must wear seat belts and motorcycle riders must wear helmets.
• International driving permits are recognized in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Public Transportation:

• Buses tend to be very crowded and can be unsafe and unreliable.
• Avoid using "private taxis" and unmarked taxis, or entering a cab that already contains passengers.
• Negotiate a fare prior to entering a cab.  Cab drivers often try to charge foreigners a higher fare.
• Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in the Kyrgyz Republic, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of the Kyrgyz Republic’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.