Ulaanbaatar’s Gridlock: A Microcosm of Mongolia’s Challenges

These challenges are daunting but not insurmountable. Addressing them requires bold, coordinated action.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s sprawling capital, is choking on its own growth. Its traffic congestion is legendary, its air pollution a public health crisis, and its residents increasingly skeptical of their government’s ability to deliver solutions. Recent measures by the Traffic Police Department to ban vehicles lacking valid inspections, tax payments, or fines from the roads starting December 1st promise to add fuel to this simmering fire.

Add to this the proposed tripling of vehicle taxes and a fivefold hike in road usage fees by 2025, and the city appears on the brink of public backlash.