Thursday13 February 2025
centralasiabusiness.com

"Previously, 20,000 to 25,000 cards were sold monthly; now, that number is sold in just one day," said the CEO of ATTO.

Following the ban on cash payments for public transport in Tashkent starting January 1, 2025, there has been a significant surge in demand for transport cards. This situation has even led to the emergence of resellers for these cards. How is ATTO, the operator of the automated fare payment system, addressing the challenges that arise during this new phase of payment digitization? The company's CEO, Davron Shoёkubov, shared insights on this issue in an interview with Kun.uz.
«Ранее ежемесячно продавалось 20–25 тысяч карт, а в январе эта цифра достигает 25 тысяч в день», — отметил исполнительный директор АТТО.

What measures have been taken to ensure the availability of cards in light of the increased demand?

— The supply of cards has been tripled compared to previous periods, according to the plan set at the beginning of the year. However, sales have exceeded expectations. In 2024, 250,000 cards were sold, and during December and the first 20 days of January, consumers purchased 150,000 cards. Previously, sales averaged 20–25 thousand cards per month, but in January, that volume became a daily sales figure.

Since the beginning of the month, 200,000 cards have been issued, and an additional 150,000 are expected to be provided to passengers by the end of January. A total of 350,000 transport cards are scheduled for release in January and February. The ticket offices are regularly supplied with cards in accordance with the current demand.

Nevertheless, the cards are running out quickly. There are numerous complaints from the public on social media. Is this solely related to the sharp increase in demand?

— Our contact center receives complaints such as: “It’s impossible to find cards, and they are being sold on the street at inflated prices.” This is related to the activities of resellers. There are cases where one individual buys more than 20 cards or purchases all the cards at a ticket office. Those cards, bought at face value, are then sold on the street at inflated prices — 30,000 to 50,000 sums.

To prevent such situations, a system has been implemented that limits the sale of more than two cards to one user. This will help combat resellers and reduce the number of inactive cards. As of January 15, there are 360,000 cards registered in the system, of which 80,000 are not used for payments .

Why do ATTO transport cards sometimes fail to be read by validators, and where should passengers go to resolve such issues?

— The main reason may be a technical malfunction of the card, such as damage to the magnetic stripe or chip. Improper card storage (bending, wetting, exposure to high temperatures) can render it unusable. Additionally, the card will not be read if there are insufficient funds for payment.

A card may also not work if the validator on public transport is malfunctioning or if there are software issues. Furthermore, new cards may sometimes not be activated in the system, making their use impossible.

To resolve the issue, passengers should go to the place of purchase (metro ticket office or post office) for verification. If necessary, staff will provide a card replacement service. It is also recommended to check the card balance and top it up if the funds are depleted. In case of a validator malfunction, passengers should inform the driver or the controller of public transport. If the problem remains unresolved, passengers are advised to contact the transport company's call center or use a special service to file complaints.

Is it possible to replace a faulty transport card and transfer the existing funds to a new card? Or is this a paid service?

— Currently, the ATTO system does not support direct transfer of funds from one card to another. This is due to the technical features of the system and security measures. If the old card is not lost, it is possible to transfer the remaining balance. For this, you need to bring the faulty card and the new card to the appropriate location (bank branch or service center) and speak to the staff. Through the banking system, the remaining balance on the old card will be transferred to the new one. This service is provided free of charge. If the old card is lost and its data is not preserved, it is impossible to transfer the remaining balance to a new card.

The full interview can be viewed on the YouTube channel Kun.uz.

Interviewed by Diyorakhon Nabijonova,
operator: Mirvohid Mirrahimov.