No sudden hike to 500 tenge: Government responds to public transport fare discussion

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakh officials addressed public discussions about a proposed 500-tenge fare for buses in Astana and Almaty during a government briefing.

Vice Minister of Finance Yerzhan Birzhanov emphasized that public transport is oriented towards affordability for residents and that a sharp increase in fares will not be allowed.

“We will not allow a sudden rise in fares. Naturally, the state will provide support if costs for public transport increase,” Birzhanov explained.

Earlier, the city administrations of Almaty and Astana stated that raising the fare is not currently under consideration.

The discussion was prompted by a statement from a transport expert-blogger suggesting that bus fares in the two cities should be set at 500 tenge due to transport companies operating at a loss. Most users reacted skeptically, noting that no calculations or official evidence were provided to support this claim.