Kazakhstan students in for public transport privileges

Kazakhstan students doing their full-time Bachelor courses (both, those whose studying is funded from educational grants and those paying for it themselves) might get an opportunity to use urban public transport with a 50% discount, Tengrinews.kz reports. A Draft Law that covers this is being considered in the Majilis (Lower Chamber of the Parliament). Transport Ministry's officials have calculated that 9 billion tenge ($60.1 million) will be required to provide the travel privilege (50% discount of the fixed costs) for all the Kazakhstan students. “If a student is doing his course than he doesn't work. That's why we have decided to support all the students socially. As for the funds that will cover the arrangement (provision of 50% discount travel privilege) it is a quite realistic sum, the budget can afford this,” Madiyar Kozhakhmet, director of Youth Policy Department under the Ministry of Education and Science said. According to the current legislation, students whose studies are funded from educational grants can travel between Kazakhstan cities free of charge twice a year. This compensation stands at about 1.2 billion tenge ($8.1 million) for the national budget. According to Madiyar Kozhakhmet, there are no regulations that provide Kazakhstan students (regardless if they study from educational grants or on commercial basis) to use inter-city buses on preferential terms.