ASTANA – Astana Akim (Mayor) Adilbek Dzhaksybekov explained to the public on Dec. 11 some of the features of the city’s 36 new public buses.
The new buses have low floors and are equipped with ramps for transporting riders with disabilities. They are also designed to withstand Astana’s climate. The buses also have three-chamber glazing, air conditioning and heating and special flooring. They also feature video surveillance systems, automated passenger counting, Wi-Fi and a passenger validation and information system. The buses are produced by the Italian company IVECO.
Dzhaksybekov directed that the buses be utilised on the city’s busiest routes and on Dec. 12 some of the new buses were added to routes 9 and 10.
The akim also noted during his presentation that the public has complained in the past about crowded buses and long waits between buses.
A second express bus was also added on the route from the city’s main railway station to the airport. The fare is 120 tenge (US$.65) for adults, 60 tenge (US$.33) for children.
Two-hundred-sixty-two of Astana’s buses are equipped with ramps for those with special needs, which include the city’s more than 18,000 people with disabilities.
It is estimated that 720,000 people, the majority of Astana’s population, ride public buses daily.
