15:22, 12 March 2026, Bishkek – 24.kg news agency
, by Darya NESTEROVA
Residents of Bishkek met with a delegation from the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) from London to discuss concerns over the removal of trolleybuses in the city.
The visit was organized following an official appeal by local residents regarding a city transport financing project under which trolleybuses had previously been purchased.
According to representatives of the civic initiative BishkekSmog, the discussion brought together members of various public groups, including environmental activists, pensioners, parents of small children, former employees of the trolleybus department, and members of the Association of People with Disabilities of Kyrgyzstan.
Participants described to the commission the consequences that the liquidation of trolleybus routes has had for city residents.
Between 2014 and 2018, the Bishkek City Hall purchased 131 modern trolleybuses with the support of a $23.5 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which also financed the modernization of the trolleybus contact network. In 2024, the trolleybuses were taken out of operation.
The residents’ initiative group claims that the transfer of municipal property was carried out without coordination with the bank and without taking into account the opinions of citizens.
The EBRD’s accountability mechanism reviews complaints from citizens and organizations when bank-funded projects negatively affect people’s lives or violate environmental and social standards.
In an effort to peacefully resolve the dispute, Bishkek residents have joined forces with several human rights and environmental organizations, including BishkekSmog, Bankwatch and the movement Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan.
