On the morning of July 16, 2026, residents of Kokshetau faced a transport collapse as drivers from the city bus depot went on strike over unresolved wage issues. The city administration responded promptly, according to infohub.kz.
As reported by Almaty.tv, the day began for thousands of residents without public transport. One driver, Yesengeldi Kairbekov, who has worked at the bus depot since 2008, said: "I've been working at the bus depot since 2008. Initially, our salary was 150,000 tenge; in 2022 it was raised to 200,000, with incentive payments added. In April we wrote a letter to management. Three months have passed, and they haven't addressed the wage increase. Our demand is that our salary match the value of our work."
His colleagues echoed his sentiments. The depot management acknowledged the validity of the complaints, noting that the enterprise relies almost entirely on budget subsidies and therefore cannot raise wages independently. General Director of the bus depot Oleg Agoyev explained: "On the 10th, I waited until 5 p.m. for the subsidies, but they never came, so there was a bit of an explosion. Now, an initiative group will be formed, and we'll list everything point by point and respond by the 21st. To give you an idea, the money we collect covers only spare parts and diesel fuel."
The city administration assured that the wage arrears would be paid within the day, and that overtime and working conditions would be thoroughly reviewed soon. Officials plan to meet with drivers and conductors to hear their proposals.
Ultimately, the strikers were persuaded to return to work. Public transport in Kokshetau resumed its routes, albeit with delays. The city's Department of Housing and Public Utilities, Passenger Transport, Roads, and Housing Inspection said: "During the meeting, workers were informed that the company has already paid 50% of wages to drivers and conductors, and that budget funds would be transferred this same day to subsidize losses from socially significant passenger transport. Additionally, the issue of raising wages for the company's employees will be discussed separately at an additional meeting with relevant stakeholders."