Changes have been made to the rules for designing parking lots in Uzbekistan concerning the placement of charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles. According to the new regulations, such charging stations can only be installed in indoor parking garages on the first underground or first above-ground level.
These new standards also restrict the construction of parking lots in high-risk areas, such as mountainous regions, and require consideration of the maximum number of tourists during the season.
The Ministry of Justice officially registered these changes in urban planning norms on August 11. The new requirements stipulate that charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles are permitted both in open areas and in parking lots with a specific fire safety class. In enclosed parking garages, their installation is limited to the first underground or first above-ground floor.
Requirements for Construction in Mountainous and Foothill Areas
The construction of parking lots in mountainous and foothill areas is prohibited on territories located along natural watercourses, landslide channels, active landslide zones, in areas prone to avalanches, and on potential rockfall trajectories. To begin any work in these zones, relevant engineering-geological and hydrometeorological surveys must be conducted.
Furthermore, near water bodies, surface runoff generated in parking lots must be collected separately and directed to treatment. If connection to existing treatment facilities is not possible, this runoff must be temporarily stored in specially designated reservoirs.
For tourism-oriented facilities, it is now required to calculate the necessary number of parking spaces based on the maximum expected number of visitors during the season.
Increased Safety and Evacuation Requirements
The updates also affect safety issues. On open levels of parking lots and in other areas where there is a risk of a vehicle falling from height, barriers of at least 1.2 meters in height are mandatory. These barriers must be capable of withstanding a horizontal load of at least 26.7 kilonewtons.
There is also a requirement to designate separate spots for motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, and bicycles, which must be located near pedestrian entrances in well-lit and easily visible areas.
Evacuation regulations have also been changed. In underground parking lots, the distance from the farthest parking space to the nearest evacuation exit must not exceed 40 meters; in dead-end sections, this distance is limited to 20 meters. Corresponding limits of 60 and 25 meters have been set for ground-level parking lots.
Finally, wastewater treatment facilities for surface runoff are mandatory for parking lots accommodating more than one hundred cars, as well as for all facilities whose runoff enters water bodies or drinking water sources.