Astrakhan residents criticized Babushkin's call to switch to buses due to the rush at gas stations.

Governor Igor Babushkin urged Astrakhan residents to switch to public transport to mitigate the consequences. Locals, commenting on his post on social media, complained that buses do not run to some settlements.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel shortage, the authorities of Astrakhan have halved fuel consumption by government agencies, the number of ads for selling gas stations has increased in the Stavropol region, and in the Rostov region, "New People" are demanding the cancellation of fines for drivers forced to wait in line for gasoline in designated lanes.

The Governor of Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin urged local residents to switch to public transport against the backdrop of the rush demand for fuel.

"I urge Astrakhan residents not to succumb to provocations and to consider the possibility of using city public transport, which runs on liquefied natural gas – methane and diesel fuel," he wrote on July 6 on his page on the social network "VKontakte".

This post on Babushkin's page on "VKontakte", which has about 7.8 thousand subscribers, had received 14 reactions and 20 comments by 10:00 AM Moscow time on July 7.

Users complained about the poor operation of public transport. "Since the issue of public transport has come up, please check the operation of route 112 in Nachalovo. Many drivers refuse to go on their route, they go like the 190th, and practically no one goes to the final stop near the traffic police," wrote Darya Andreeva-Luxembourg.

"What about those for whom public transport does not run, who have no way to get to work? There is no gasoline, and you can't get to work. Give us such transport to the village of Yamantsug in the Privolzhsky district, maybe finally in this situation we will get public transport?" asked Frangiz Karabalaeva.

"We would be happy to switch to public transport, but in the village of Yamantsug in the Privolzhsky district, it has simply not existed for four years. What should we do, how should we live? There is no gasoline, there are no buses. Think about us, we are also people," stated Florida Anselmo.

"Residents of the village of Yamantsug in the Privolzhsky district would be happy to switch to public transport, but it has not existed for many years. Pay attention to this situation! How are people supposed to get to work, to the clinic, or with children? Help solve at least this problem," appealed Zamira Janakpaeva.

"Maybe then the administration will also take public transport? It is impossible to get from Svobodny to the 2nd Southeast. You have to travel with transfers to work. With two children, getting to the pool and back is also unrealistic; we don't earn that much. Because of this situation, we have to give up everything. Gasoline is brought to the entire district, which runs out in an hour, and you have to line up at night. There have always been vacations, it was possible to leave for any city without problems and not be afraid that you would break down on the road," noted Nadezhda Ryabina.

Commentators demanded concrete results from officials. "A meeting for show. Get things in order so that there is gasoline at gas stations," wrote Andrey Antonov.

"We will be responsible. But we would like to hear something substantive," pointed out Mikhail Alekseev.

"When will you learn to admit mistakes and tell the truth?" asked Denis Tarasov.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that Astrakhan residents had repeatedly complained about the problem with public transport. Back in early September 2021, carriers stated that it was unprofitable to engage in transportation after another fare increase, and that many drivers were leaving routes, even though the city lacked buses. In January 2025, Astrakhan residents noted that the cost of bus fares did not correspond to their income levels, and that the quality of transport services in the city remained inadequate.