Nazarbayev instructed to resolve Almaty traffic problems

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the Ministry of Transport and Communications to construct the Big Almaty Ring Road and resolve traffic jams in the city, presidential website reports. In a meeting with Almaty Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov Nursultan Nazarbayev said that traffic issues should be given a package solution. He called to study the experience of large cities and see how Paris is solving transport logistics problems and how London is dealing with pollution and overloaded streets. “In this relation it is very important to complete construction of the Eastern Bypass Road" also known as the Big Almaty Ring Road, he said. "Financing for the project is available. As I said earlier, the Big Almaty Ring Road should be built by 2012. Construction has not started yet. The Ministry of Transport and Communications should deal with the issue together with related government bodies,” said the President. The Head of the State draw attention to traffic jams in Almaty. Around one million vehicles are driving the streets of Almaty every day. 400 thousand of them are vehicles from other cities. According to the President, many people drive to Almaty for work from neighboring areas every day. This makes development of high-speed public transport to the nearby towns, such as Kaskelen, Kapshagai and Yessik especially important. In this relation the President instructed the Government and Akims (Mayors) of Almaty and Almaty oblast to review and adopt a comprehensive plan of development of the city's transport system.