The winter road maintenance is far from satisfactory.

In late December of last year, an accident occurred on a section of the Kapshagai highway near Konev. Traffic police arrived at the scene. While they were preparing the report, the driver of a passing foreign car lost control and fatally struck Senior Lieutenant Shalkhar Baizhomartov, an inspector from the patrol police battalion.

https://kazpravda.kz/n/zimnee-soderzhanie-dorog-ne-vyderzhivaet-kritiki/2025-01-09 07:13:20

The regional police department explained that the cause of the accident, which resulted in a tragic outcome, was ice formation due to heavy snowfall and a sudden drop in temperature.

Recently, the incident involving the death of a police officer received special attention during a meeting of the party control commission at the regional branch of the "Amanat" party. During the meeting, Gani Myrzakhanov, the head of the regional branch of the national company "KazAvtoZhol," complained about the lack of specialized equipment needed for clearing roads of snow and ice. According to him, only 65% of the required amount of anti-icing materials is available.

In turn, the deputies of the Almaty regional maslikhat sharply criticized the condition of the roads. As noted by the chairman of the party control commission, Amangel'dy Sembaev, timely and quality snow removal from highways could have prevented accidents and saved lives.

The region has 17 contracting organizations responsible for the proper maintenance of roads; however, they are performing their duties very poorly. The issue requires urgent resolution, as people are suffering. For instance, residents of Kaskelen, Boralday, and other villages and towns regularly arrive late to work and school due to untimely snow removal and the application of anti-icing agents on the streets. In comparison, the condition of the BAKAD ring highway, managed by a private concessionaire, is significantly better than that of the republican highways serviced by "KazAvtoZhol."

Meeting participants reviewed video materials that clearly demonstrated the dire situation on the region's roads. Unfortunately, almost every winter, as a result of inspection raids, the road maintenance services of the Almaty region receive unsatisfactory ratings and face hefty fines. But, as the saying goes, the situation remains unchanged.

According to statistical data, more than 1 billion tenge is collected annually from the Kapshagay toll terminals into the state treasury. The lion's share of these funds should be allocated for maintaining the autobahn in good condition. With such significant amounts of money, order could surely be established?

By the way, Almaty region remains one of the anti-leaders in the country regarding the level of accidents on highways, ranking second after Almaty. According to the police, nearly 3,000 traffic accidents occurred in the region over the 11 months of last year, claiming the lives of 112 people. More than a thousand others sustained injuries of varying degrees of severity.

As a result of the meeting, a work plan for the current year was adopted, and tasks were assigned to contracting organizations to improve the quality of winter road maintenance and replenish anti-icing material supplies. These and other issues related to road safety have been placed under the party's control.

P.S. Last Saturday, another accident occurred on the 140th kilometer of the Almaty-Astana road, resulting in one fatality and four people hospitalized. The main cause was dense fog and zero visibility. Patrol officers advise drivers: before embarking on a long journey, wait for improved weather conditions and do not put yourself and your loved ones at risk.