Alma-Arasan: 70 families left without bus service amid development and traffic jams

Residents of an Almaty neighborhood near the Alma-Arasan gorge say they have lost bus service and normal access to their homes, and city officials have responded to their complaints, infohub.kz reports.

The problem was described by a Threads user under the nickname chernyy_dante. According to him, the cause lies in the development of the Alma-Arasan springs site, through which the only road to the homes passes. The Almaty resident claims that the area of the former parking lot is being occupied by food service establishments.

"Because there are effectively no parking spaces left, cars have started parking en masse along the road. As a result, serious traffic jams form, and buses physically cannot get through. Because of this, the bus depot is not launching route No. 211 to our neighborhood. As a result, residents of more than 70 families are forced to walk more than a kilometer to the nearest stop — and that's downhill and then uphill," the post says.

According to the author, the same situation has arisen with the school bus: it cannot reach the homes for the same reason.

Moreover, this is not just about convenience. If the road is constantly blocked by cars, it could potentially create serious problems for ambulances, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles in the event of an emergency, the user added.

He also noted the additional strain on utility networks and communications due to the emergence of a large number of food service establishments.

"We are not against the development of the area. We want to ensure that it does not create conditions under which residents effectively lose normal access to their homes and public transport," the author emphasized.

Meanwhile, in response to an official request from NUR.KZ, the Almaty Department of Traffic Organization and Passenger Transport said that the issue of restoring the route No. 211 scheme cannot currently be considered. The reason is the lack of necessary transport infrastructure.

"Previously, buses ran to the 'Alma-Arasan' turnaround area, where there is a possibility for safe bus turnaround. However, due to severe congestion and the lack of free space at this area for bus turnaround, the terminus has been moved. In this regard, the issue of restoring the previous route scheme may be considered after the necessary infrastructure is provided," the department concluded.