Starting August 21, 2026, Kazakhstan enforces rules for implementing a pilot project on vehicles with conditional and high automation. The relevant document was published in the NPA. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The project is designed for three years and covers Astana, Almaty, and the city of Kosshy.
The document forms the country's first legal framework for allowing autonomous vehicles on public roads, setting strict requirements for cybersecurity, insurance, test drivers, and remote operators.
Ministry's comment
As noted by the Ministry of AI, this is the first regulatory act in Kazakhstan's history legalizing the appearance of autonomous vehicles and robotaxis on public roads. The event moves the development of innovative transport from a legal vacuum to a strictly regulated field with clear business responsibility and citizen protection.
Plans for the first months
It is not yet known how many autonomous vehicles will hit the streets of Astana and Almaty in the first months of the project and when passengers will be able to use autonomous taxi services.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that in mid-June, a robotaxi was shown in Almaty, which is being prepared for launch in Kazakhstan.
The autonomous vehicle based on the Hyundai Sonata was shown to Deputy Minister of Transport Damir Kozhakhmetov. The demonstration took place as part of work on developing intelligent transport systems and studying the capabilities of autonomous transport in Kazakhstan. The service is planned to be implemented in stages.