Impact of the location of HEIs on traffic congestion: Evidence from Tashkent city

Abstract

In this study, the focus is on evaluating the effect of the academic period on traffic levels, and subsequently estimating the associated harm to urban ecology. It is worth mentioning that Uzbekistan has 199 higher educational institutions, with the largest concentration in Tashkent, accounting for 43.2% of all HEIs in the country. These institutions cater to over one million students, with around 34% (approx. 354,000) enrolled in higher education in the capital. However, due to an anomalous cold weather event that occurred during the winter of 2022, the winter vacation of students in Uzbekistan was extended. Consequently, the academic period in HEIs began on January 23rd, and this had a significant impact on traffic levels during morning and afternoon hours. Traffic observations taken during peak hours from January 12th-31st, 2023 indicated that although traffic was highest in the evenings, there was a marked increase in morning traffic following the start of the academic period on January 23rd.