"Why are you mocking people?!" Lukashenka advocates for a comfortable and safe alternative to minibuses
November 14, 2025
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has instructed to resolve the issue of queues for minibuses during peak hours, including by attracting additional vehicles to popular routes, including electric transport. The head of state announced this at a meeting on the results of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant's operation, increased electricity consumption, and proposals for building new nuclear capacities, a BELTA correspondent reports.
The President noted that electric transport is developing in Belarus, not only in large cities. "Pilot projects for converting public transport to electric have been implemented in Shklov, Zhodino, and Novopolotsk. In total, more than 44,000 electric vehicles are currently operated in the country, and there are over 1,870 charging stations," the head of state cited the data.
In this regard, it is surprising why there is a shortage of public transport in suburban and intercity services, the President observed. This issue, he said, is raised by people, including on social media. "People are offended: they stand, especially during peak hours, in queues of up to 150 meters, as they write, to squeeze into these smelly minibuses," said Alexander Lukashenko. "Listen, why are you tormenting people?!" "Can't we replace these minibuses, Alexander Gennadievich, with buses?" the President remarked, addressing Prime Minister Alexander Turchin. "We need to introduce not only buses with internal combustion engines but also electric buses. And let them run. People will gladly take them. They will be comfortable, breathing fresh air in these buses, not crammed in there (like in minibuses. - BELTA's note)." According to the President, this would also be a safer mode of transport: "Well, we might lose 2-3 minutes, but we will be alive and well."