Kazakh authorities won’t restrict access for out-of-town vehicles

Tengrinews.kz – The Kazakh government is not planning to restrict the entry of out-of-town vehicles into major cities despite rising air pollution concerns, Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said during a government briefing.

Sklyar acknowledged that the aging vehicle fleet is a major contributor to air pollution. While the authorities aim to encourage the purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles, they are not currently considering bans or entry restrictions.

“We will implement measures such as toll roads, excise taxes on gasoline and vehicles, encouraging more public transportation use, especially in big cities, and converting public transport to gas or electric buses,” Sklyar explained.

Sklyar also confirmed that Astana's LRT is scheduled to start operations next year, which is expected to ease environmental pressure. He added that the government is considering further expansion of the network.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov echoed these concerns, citing expert estimates that 80% of air pollution in Almaty comes from vehicles.

“You know that legal amendments were made granting Almaty’s maslikhat the right to approve a clean air program. That work is now underway, and residents are welcome to contribute with ideas and proposals,” Bektenov said.

According to recent statistics:

• Nearly 70% of vehicles in Kazakhstan are over 10 years old.
• Only 7% of registered vehicles are newer than three years.

As of July 1, the total number of vehicles in the country reached 6.46 million.

Of that total:

• 86.6% are passenger cars,
• 9.6% are trucks,
• 1.8% are buses,
• 2% are motorcycles.