Involvement of The Private Sector in The Operation (Maintenance) of Public Highways on The Basis of Outsourcing

In Uzbekistan, road maintenance is primarily managed by state entities, with limited private sector engagement. Despite recent legislative reforms to promote outsourcing in this sector, challenges persist in implementation. While PPPs have proven successful internationally, there is limited research on their effectiveness in Uzbekistan's road maintenance sector. The impact of outsourcing on service quality, competition, and economic efficiency remains underexplored. This study examines the involvement of the private sector in maintaining public highways in Uzbekistan, analyzing foreign best practices and proposing solutions to existing inefficiencies. Findings indicate that outsourcing road maintenance increases competition, improves service quality, and optimizes budget expenditures. However, issues such as labor shortages, inadequate regulatory frameworks, and financial constraints hinder full-scale implementation. The study highlights the first attempts to introduce outsourcing in Uzbekistan’s road maintenance sector and assesses its preliminary outcomes. It provides a comparative analysis with international experiences and outlines actionable policy recommendations. The research supports the expansion of private sector involvement in road maintenance through enhanced regulatory measures, strategic funding, and improved workforce allocation. These findings contribute to policy discussions on sustainable infrastructure management in transition economies.