In relation to the sharp increase in the number of tourists, the demand for vehicles serving foreign travelers increased in the summer and autumn of last year, and their costs rose sharply. The daily fee for transporting one person by “UAZ-452”, which is known as a tourist vehicle, increased by 50-80 percent and reached 300,000 MNT to 400,000 MNT. Officials in tourism warn that there may be shortages and inflations this year too. 

The Mongolian National Road Transportation Center has pointed out that this inflation and shortage of vehicles can be caused by the fact that the center had a ban on granting permits to enterprises and organizations with B-category vehicles over 12 years of use with the steering wheel on the left side. Officials said, “In order to ensure the safety of travelers, it is good to impose requirements on vehicles, but when the tourist season is about to start, you should not make a sudden decision and ban them in general. More than 70 percent of vehicles have been in use for 12 years”. Also, people are protesting against this idea and saying, “Each enterprise does not have the opportunity to purchase equipment to serve tourists in only two or three months of summer.” In connection with this decision, representatives of tour operator companies and entrepreneurs are planning to submit demands to the relevant authorities.

However, when asked about the regulation, the center did not provide a clear and reasonable explanation, other than “Drivers of tourist transportation enterprises and organizations are required to pass a medical examination and be qualified, and their vehicles must undergo inspection.” The Mongolian Professional Tour Guides Association, which is a public legal entity established under the new and amended Tourism Law, also does not have any specific information about the decision or changes.