The government of Kazakhstan is looking for ways to shift the costs of maintaining roads onto commercial trucks, including foreign ones. This became known after the first meeting of the working group on road tolls chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin. Proposals regarding personal passenger transport were not considered. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Zhumangarin explained that the system currently does not work for itself.
"We build roads, but we continue to cover the costs of their maintenance and repair from the budget. It is necessary to build a system in which road infrastructure ensures its own maintenance," the deputy prime minister said.
The working group focused mainly on toll payment by commercial trucks — both domestic and foreign carriers. There are no specific tariffs yet: the meeting was the first, and participants only presented ideas.
Independent insurance expert Aigerim Karabyyikoglu drew attention to the difference in toll road tariffs between Kazakhstan and neighboring countries. She proposed studying whether they could be brought closer to the regional level and considering separate conditions for Kazakh carriers. Another idea from the expert is to insure foreign trucks upon entry into the country. In her opinion, such a mechanism could compensate for the load of freight transport on roads and become a source of funds for repairs.
Business analyst at "QazAvtoZhol" Farkhad Nurkamalov proposed introducing annual subscriptions for transport companies. A carrier will be able to pay in advance for the mileage it plans to travel and save on large volumes. According to him, this will increase payment collection and reduce debts.
Former MP and logistics and transport expert Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly proposed studying whether the tariff could be made dependent on the vehicle's environmental class, emission level, and load on the pavement. The heavier and dirtier the truck, the more it will pay.
The meeting also discussed transparency. Participants proposed wider use of digital tools to track truck movement, including on toll sections. This is needed to prevent carriers from evading payment.
The deputy prime minister instructed to continue working on the proposals together with government agencies, industry associations, and businesses. He demanded that the interests of carriers be taken into account and that road maintenance costs be distributed fairly. The main emphasis, the government stressed, should be on commercial freight transport, without affecting personal passenger cars. Basic proposals must be prepared by the end of November and presented at the next meeting of the working group.
Recall that in Kazakhstan, toll road tariffs are planned to be increased annually in 2027–2029.