Kilometre-Long Queues For Coal Spotted in Oskemen

With the arrival of cold weather, Oskemen is once again facing a rush for coal. Long lines of trucks have formed on the city’s dead-end roads, stretching from the oil depot area to the warehouses, Orda.kz reports.

Eyewitnesses have shared videos showing traffic jams filled with coal trucks, where drivers have been waiting for days to load.

According to local authorities, the main reasons for the congestion are disruptions in railcar deliveries from the Qarajyra deposit and a surge in demand from residents of nearby border regions.

Currently, there are five coal terminals operating in the city, with Seikom and the Fuel Company Terminal handling the bulk of shipments.

We've previously released numerous videos urging people to stock up on coal for the winter. Now, the Akimat has reached an agreement with JSC Qarajyra to increase the supply of railcars to the coal sidings in Oskemen. The matter is under review,
Rashid Sherubayev, deputy head of the city’s housing and communal services department says

The issue is not new. Each autumn, residents without access to central heating — roughly 28,000 private households — rush to the city’s industrial zones to secure winter fuel supplies.

City officials admit that ending dependence on coal will only be possible after the construction of a new combined heat and power plant, as the existing facility is already operating at full capacity and cannot meet the city’s energy needs.

Original Author: Elena Medvedeva