Astana to get new bus depot

Astana city is planning to construct a new bus depot this year, Tengrinews reports citing the official website of the capital city's Akimat (Municipal Authorities).

"We are going to purchase 442 buses in 2014. The contract for 350 of the buses has already been signed, and we are looking for funding for the remaining 92. 383 more buses are going to be bought in 2015 and 125 busses in 2016. The amounts were calculated to based on the estimated passenger transportation demand growth by 5% a year, plus an additionally increase of passengers driven by improvement of the service quality. This large-scale plan of bus fleet renewal calls for construction of a new municipal bus depot," Deputy Akim (Mayor) of Astana City Kanat Sultanbekov said during the 31st session of the municipal Maslikhat (municipal executive committee) dedicated to ways of improving the city's public transport.

According to the official, the city has already selected a land lot for the depot near the Astana industrial park. The area of the land lot is 84,000 square meters. Design specifications and estimates for the new depot are the the completion stage and are now being reviewed by the government authorities. The actual construction is scheduled to begin in May this year.

"The city is purchasing 350 Iveco buses running of gas this year. The delivery of the first 50 buses will be made in June and then they will be supplies of 70 buses every month. The last batch will be delivered in October 2014," the city's official website reads.

The new public transport will be distributed in the city as follows: 180 buses will cover the existing shortage and the other 170 buses will replace old buses. 158 old buses still during Astana no longer comply with the technical requirements and need to be removed from the streets. "Within the next two years we are planning to remove 580 more old buses that not longer meet the requirements. To do so we need to purchase 600 more new buses. But for the moment, procurement of these 350 buses fully covers the city shortage," Sultanbekov said.