The first edition of Busworld Central Asia will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from June 25 to 27, 2019, in the Atakent International Exhibition Center. Almaty is the largest city in this vast country. Kazakhstan is the hub of other neighbouring ‘stan’ countries such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and the link between China and Europe via the ‘Silk Road’ connection. The country was formerly part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its public transport systems were closely modelled on those of Russia. It relied heavily on Russia for buses and that continued for several years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Kazakhstan is a huge country and has large reserves of oil and gas. The country is larger than Western Europe in territory and is land-locked. This creates a challenge in exporting oil and gas but demand is strong from countries such as its neighbour, China.
Bus manufacturers from outside the former USSR have been making steady inroads to the Kazakh market. There is demand for low floor layouts and also alternative fuels like CNG. There is some local assembly of buses, but the potential to increase is quite considerable.
It is estimated that 50% of the population of around 18.5 million people live in urban centres. Alternative means of public transport are very limited, so that will stimulate demand for better and more frequent bus services.
At the exhibition, a vast range of buses and coaches will be presented by leading brands including Anadolu Isuzu, Arobus, Astana Motors (Hyundai), Autocapital (Mercedes-Benz), Belkommunmash, JV MAN Auto, Kamaz Trading Company, Otokar, Saktagan, Samauto and Saryarka Avto Prom (Ankai Buses), in addition to many suppliers and technology providers who will be presenting their latest products and solutions.
Busworld Academy
Busworld Academy will hold its inaugural session in Central Asia with a conference entitled ‘Futuristic Transportation Solutions for Central Asia’ which will be all about shaping tomorrow’s public transport in Central Asian countries. The Academy will host presentations by a number of experts with knowledge of the Kazakhstan and regional markets. The event is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Mayorate of Almaty. The conference is organised in association with United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD), Union of Auto Transport of Kazakhstan (KAO), Atamekeh, and Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP).