ADB President Tours Bishkek’s New Electric Bus Depot, Reviews Progress of Urban Transport Upgrade

President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Masato Kanda, has visited Kyrgyzstan as part of an official trip, where he met with Bishkek Deputy Mayor Ramiz Aliev and toured Electric Bus Depot No. 2.

The visit focused on assessing the infrastructure and technical readiness of the city’s new electric buses acquired under the Urban Transport Electrification Project, The Caspian Post informs via Kyrgyz media.

Talantbek Kaparov, Director of the Bishkek City Transport Enterprise, briefed the delegation on key project components, its implementation timeline, and long-term goals.

Officials also presented construction-stage photos of the depot, a 3D animation of the Pilot Green Corridor, and a driver training simulator designed specifically for electric bus operations.

Kanda’s delegation inspected charging stations and accessibility features on the new buses, including accommodations for passengers with disabilities.

The visit comes against the backdrop of Bishkek’s transition away from trolleybuses. In June 2024, the city proposed transferring 100 trolleybuses to Osh, following the dismantling of Bishkek’s overhead contact network - a move that sparked public concern. Despite a lawsuit filed by residents, the City Council’s decision to proceed was upheld in court. By April 2025, Bishkek received its first two electric buses, with another 118 delivered in May.

The ADB has since clarified that it did not play a role in the city’s decision to fully replace trolleybuses. Joonho Hwang, director at Energy Sector Office, responsible for the East, Central, and West Asia regions of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said that the project initially envisioned replacing 95 diesel buses and only 25 trolleybuses - not a complete overhaul of the entire trolleybus fleet.