Travellers at Olot–Farap border may gain capacity, but no timeline set

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are examining ways to increase capacity at their main road border checkpoints, after the number of trucks crossing the two posts rose to an average of 780 per day in the first 10 months of 2026 — an 11% increase on the previous year. The two sides held a video conference on 6 November 2026 to discuss faster international road freight transport and fuller use of the existing infrastructure.

Key facts

• The meeting covered the Olot checkpoint on the Uzbek side and the Farap checkpoint on the Turkmen side
• Average daily truck traffic rose from 530 in 2024 to 700 in 2025, and 780 in January–October 2026
• Between 27 October and 2 November 2026, the checkpoints handled an average of 1,000 trucks per day
• On 17 October, the daily figure reached nearly 1,200 vehicles
• Proposals include extra staff at peak times and similar steps at railway border crossings

Who took part?

According to Uzbekistan's Customs Committee, the delegations were led by Gayrat Nasirov, First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan's Customs Committee, and Dovlet Bayriyev, Deputy Chairman of Turkmenistan's State Customs Service. The video conference was organised following instructions issued after the chairman of Uzbekistan's Customs Committee inspected the Olot post on 5 November.

Why is this happening?

Uzbekistan's Customs Committee said changes in international transport routes linked to geopolitical developments have increased transit freight flows through Uzbekistan. The Olot checkpoint currently processes an average of 165 transit trucks heading to Turkmenistan each day — three times the level recorded in 2024.

What is being proposed?

To improve traffic flow and make better use of existing infrastructure, the Uzbek side proposed reviewing the practice of transferring semi-trailers introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also suggested coordinating shift-change schedules at the two checkpoints and setting up direct communication channels between checkpoint managers and responsible staff.

Other proposals included monthly working meetings between regional customs officials, deploying additional staff during periods of heavy traffic, and introducing similar cooperation mechanisms at railway border crossings.

What happens next?

Uzbekistan's Customs Committee said the parties agreed to examine the proposals and coordinate further efforts to increase checkpoint capacity, strengthen customs cooperation and reduce delays in international freight transportation. The measures are intended to support bilateral trade, shorten transit times and improve cross-border logistics between the two countries. No start date for any of the proposed steps has been announced.

What this means for travellers

The changes discussed concern international road freight and truck traffic at the Olot and Farap crossings. The source does not announce any changes to passenger entry rules, visas, fees or documents at these borders.