"Tourists Deserve Better Facilities": Criticism from Kazakhstan residents over poor roadside restroom conditions
Stinky, Shameful Roadside Toilets: Kazakhs Unleash Fury on KazAvtoZhol
Once again, Kazakhs are up in arms over the pathetic state of toilets along the roads. 31 Channel reports that residents have taken to social media to shame these public facilities, claiming they make them ashamed to invite guests.
One disgruntled resident stated, "These roadside toilets are a bloody disaster. Despite the fact that all the roads are toll roads, these facilities are a joke." Another female resident added, "In this condition, I don't even know if it's embarrassing to invite tourists or guests to the city."
AО "NC "KazAvtoZhol" is responsible for these crumbling toilets. The national company currently maintains 744 regular toilets and around 150 heated ones along the roads. According to Vasily Klimakov, a member of the public council of Karaganda, this is a missed opportunity. "This should be more than just a toilet," he said, "it should be a full-fledged service for servicing vehicles and passengers. This is a potential source of revenue that can be utilized or spent on various goods and services."
According to Darhan Imanashev, chairman of the board of AО "NC "KazAvtoZhol", setting up one sanitation and hygiene unit can cost anywhere from 15 to 20 million tenge - for electrification, drilling a well, and a septic tank. Maintaining these facilities costs 200-400 thousand tenge per month. In remote areas, an employee has to travel tens of kilometers just to clean the toilet.
In early April of this year, the deputy head of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports was asked how the country plans to develop tourism without basic facilities like roadside toilets. Yerzhan Yerkinbayev reported that the number of non-functional roadside toilets has decreased from 490 to 190 nationwide since 2021.
In late 2024, national company "KazAvtoZhol" reached out to drivers regarding toilets installed along the roads. The company claimed that many road sections have sanitary facilities for public convenience, but people often ignore these and relieve themselves outdoors, often near the facilities themselves.
During the summer of 2024, tourists at Alakol complained about the lack of toilets and trash cans. They reported that local communal service workers struggled to maintain cleanliness as not all tourists respected the environment.
In autumn 2024, the head of the housing and utilities department in the Jetisu region was sentenced for mismanaging budget funds allocated for non-functional restrooms.
Expensive Shame
While exact costs remain unknown, typical maintenance costs for similar facilities in Central Asia range between $100-$500 per month per unit. This includes cleaning, water/electricity, repairs, and security. Criticisms persist due to poor sanitation, budget mismanagement, climate challenges, accessibility gaps, and vandalism.
Although KazAvtoZhol often prioritizes major highway projects over amenities, some regional governments have started partnering with private firms to upgrade facilities in high-traffic zones. The persistent criticism highlights the challenge of balancing infrastructure budgets with public expectations for hygiene and accessibility.
- The shaming of roadside toilets on social media by Kazakh residents is due to their belief that these facilities make them ashamed to invite guests, especially tourists.
- Critics, including members of the public council, argue that roadside toilets managed by KazAvtoZhol should offer more than just basic facilities, potentially generating revenue through various services.
- The high cost of setting up and maintaining roadside toilets is a topic of ridicule, with one unit costing anywhere from 15 to 20 million tenge, and monthly maintenance costs ranging from 200-400 thousand tenge.
- The expensive and shameful state of roadside toilets presents a challenge in balancing infrastructure budgets with public expectations for hygiene and accessibility, particularly in the context of Kazakhstan's tourism development and sustainability.
