Since the beginning of 2026, specialists from Eco Almaty LLP have inspected over 1,400 buses in Almaty for compliance with environmental standards. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the press service of the Almaty city administration, repeated inspections of bus depots were conducted from January 3 to June 30. During this period, specialists examined 1,407 out of 2,525 registered buses.
"The monitoring results revealed that 596 buses exceeded permissible toxicity and smoke emission standards. Of these, 150 run on diesel fuel and 446 on gas," the statement said.
Eco Almaty LLP noted that such inspections are carried out regularly under the Rules for the Protection of Atmospheric Air.
Earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs summarized the results of the operational preventive measure "Bus." During the raids, police identified over 22,000 traffic violations, about 6,000 of which were in the passenger transportation sector.
The city administration stated that administrative measures will be taken against owners of buses that violated environmental requirements. Inspections continue, and the remaining buses will be checked soon. These measures are aimed at improving air quality in Almaty.
According to environmentalists, vehicle emissions are one of the main sources of air pollution in the city. Therefore, it is important to conduct such inspections regularly. Eco Almaty specialists provided recommendations to bus depots on complying with environmental standards.
Overall, work continues in Almaty to renew the public transport fleet. The city administration announced plans to purchase environmentally friendly buses. However, currently 42% of inspected buses do not meet standards, significantly impacting the city's ecology.
Among the violations identified during the "Bus" raid, the most common were speeding, ignoring traffic lights, and lack of documents. Most of the 6,000 violations in the passenger transportation sector were related to operating without a license.
City residents are concerned about the results of environmental inspections. Many Almaty residents complain on social media about smoke from buses. The administration stated that it is taking comprehensive measures to address this issue.
Eco Almaty LLP plans to inspect the remaining 1,118 buses soon. All inspections should be completed by the end of the year. As a result, buses that do not meet environmental standards may be taken out of service.
The deputy mayor of the city said that work is underway to convert public transport to gas and purchase electric buses to improve the environmental situation. However, these measures will not yield immediate results, so current inspections play an important role.
In conclusion, environmental inspections in Almaty are part of systematic work to improve the city's air quality. The exceeding of standards by 596 buses indicates the relevance of the problem. The administration and relevant authorities will continue working in this direction.