Konaev experiences an escalation in bus fares
In the city of Konaev, passengers will soon notice an increase in the fares for intercity routes. The cash fare for the Konaev - Zarechnyi, Konaev - Arna, Konaev - Shengel'dy, and Konaev - Koskuduk routes will be 300 tenge, 300 tenge, 400 tenge, and 400 tenge respectively. For the Konaev - Saribulak and Konaev - Kerbulak routes, the fare will be 500 tenge for both. The electronic system fare for these routes is set at 150 tenge, 150 tenge, 200 tenge, 200 tenge, 200 tenge, and 200 tenge respectively.
The increase in fares is primarily driven by rising operational costs. Fuel prices have seen a significant rise over the past three years, with a liter of fuel costing 200-230 tenge in 2023, 240-270 tenge in 2024, and 290-310 tenge in 2025. This increase in fuel prices, combined with the challenges of maintaining vehicles under harsh road conditions, puts a strain on transport operators' budgets.
Other factors contributing to the fare increase include currency depreciation, infrastructure modernization, a growing vehicle fleet, and economic growth in the transport sector. The weakening of the Kazakhstani tenge increases costs for imported fuel and spare parts, making transport more expensive to provide. The Kazakhstani government's tariff adjustments in the energy and communal sectors, aimed at modernization, indirectly impact transport operational costs through higher electricity and utility prices.
The expanding transport sector in Kazakhstan, with a 22.5% increase in services production (Jan-Jul 2025), brings higher demand and cost pressures that feed into fare adjustments. Despite tax cuts on older vehicles, the rising fuel prices and the aging vehicle fleet increase operating expenses.
The fare increase will partially reduce the burden on the budget and maintain the stable operation of the transport system. The bus fleet is being updated to improve the service, and single trips will cost 120 tenge with an electronic ticket system or mobile app, and 200 tenge with cash payment. The fare increase for city bus travel in Konaev will take effect from August 20, 2023.
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- The rising operational costs in Kazakhstan's transport sector, attributed to factors such as fuel price hikes, currency depreciation, and infrastructure modernization, have necessitated an increase in fares for public-transit, particularly intercity routes like those in Konaev.
- Despite the growingvehicle fleet and economic growth in the transport industry, the finance sector of Kazakhstan, specifically transport operators, faces challenges in managing costs due to factors like fuel price increases, harsh road conditions, and tariff adjustments in related sectors.
