if the shared taxi stop near 'Universam' by Yunusobod Metro station still operates

I used it two weeks ago to get to the border. A Damase ride now costs 5,000 sum.

Does anyone know if the shared taxi stop near 'Universam' by Yunusobod Metro station still operates for trips to Chernyayevka?

Yes, it’s still active. Plenty of Damases and cars. Buses to the border are also available.

Aliya Moldagulova Street

That’s basically the Kolos station. Always been the go-to for trips south to the border. If you’re coming from Bekzhan station instead, you can catch minibuses to Chernyayevka there as well—more convenient if you’re coming from the airport without entering the city.

Also, I am heading to Tashkent next week. Does anyone know if the shared taxi stop near 'Universam' by Yunusobod Metro station still operates for trips to Chernyayevka?

Going there:

• Ordered a Yandex Taxi from the hotel to the border—12,000 tenge.
• On the Uzbek side, took a bus for 2,000 sum in cash. The whole trip to the Shakhristan metro took just over two hours.

Returning:

• Took the same bus from Shakhristan metro to the border.
• From the border, got a taxi back to the Shymkent hotel—8,000 tenge per car.

The trip back also took just over two hours.

At the border, there are three “circles” of taxi drivers:

1. Right outside the checkpoint: These guys might even be inside the checkpoint itself. Ask for a price, and they suddenly don’t understand Russian. Avoid engaging with them—it’s hard to shake them off afterward.
2. A bit farther out: These drivers wait to fill their cars before heading to Kolos. Standard price is 2,000 tenge per seat, but they might try to charge tourists more. In the evening, you could wait a long time for the car to fill up.
3. 100 meters past the gate: Regular drivers offering private rides to anywhere in Shymkent for 8,000 tenge.

All three groups operate 24/7, so getting back to Shymkent at any time isn’t an issue.

For Shymkent-Tashkent transfers, it’s all about taxis.

Regarding taxis:

• The Shymkent-Tashkent route can cost as little as 1,000 tenge or as much as 3,000–3,500 tenge per seat ($6–$7), depending on your haggling skills.
• Want the whole taxi to yourself? Multiply that price by three or four. Again, negotiate!

Boarding point: not at Kolos. Instead, head to the market—walk further along Respublika Avenue towards Gromova Street (on the outskirts of the city).

From the border (Chernyayevka) to Tashkent, you can take a bus (it’s slow—about an hour), a marshrutka (a short walk from the border), or a taxi.

For the Tashkent-Shymkent direction, expect to pay 3,000–3,500 tenge per seat. My maximum wait time for filling a taxi was about half an hour.

Currency exchange is best done at the border—plenty of exchange points with favorable rates.

Getting around the city? Yandex Taxi is an option. Order via the app or check prices and negotiate with local drivers.

latest schedule for Shymkent-Tashkent buses?

You don’t need that bus. Even if it’s running, it’ll take you the entire day to get there. They start from the opposite end of the city from Chernyayevka, picking up passengers and waiting endlessly at the border. Why bother?

My trip from doorstep to doorstep—Tashkent to Shymkent—took less than three hours. The No. 169 city bus goes directly to the border gates. Both border crossings took about 20 minutes. From there, a taxi ride was just over an hour. I wasn’t even rushing—I waited for the taxi, exchanged money, and walked to a stop in Tashkent.

You can exchange money (sum to tenge or vice versa) at a decent rate on both sides of the border. There’s even a duty-free shop on the Uzbek side.