NUR-SULTAN / ex ASTANA (Kazavtozho) – Some 11,000 km of Kazakhstan roads will be tolled within the State Program of Infrastructure Development Nurly Zhol in 2020-2025.

From June 18 toll sections with total length of 5,800 km will be put into operation. These are: Shymkent-Gr.Uzbekistan, Uralsk-Gr.RF (Saratov), Uralsk-Gr.RF (Samara), Gr. RF (Orenburg)-Aktobe, Shchuchinsk-Petropavlovsk, Shymkent-Kyzylorda, Shymkent-Taraz, Taraz-Kainar, Kapshagay-Taldykorgan, Karabutak-Kyzylorda, Aktobe-Uralsk, Atyrau-Beyneu-gr. Uzbekistan, Aktau-Beyneu, Kostanai-Russian Federation (Troitsk), Nur-Sultan-Kostanai, Pavlodar-Russian Federation (Omsk), Nur-Sultan-Pavlodar, Pavlodar-Semey-Kalbatau.

The type of vehicle toll depends on the technical category of the road. For example, if the road is of the I technical category, all vehicles will be charged; if the road is of the II-III technical category, only trucks will be charged.

Since the introduction of the first toll sections and despite inflation, the rates have not changed. The toll rates on the new sections are currently under consideration of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Toll payment is not collected during the test operation. Following the program implementation plans, the operating company jointly with the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development has decided to implement an “open” toll collection system. This system implies complete absence of barriers on toll sections. Vehicle passage will be fixed on control arches with special cameras and equipment. In order to pay for the road toll there are several options such as automatic reading of the license plate or RFID tags the signal from which will be read at the control arches and from which the toll amount will be charged.

The tolls will be used to finance road infrastructure upgrades. The aim is to provide safety and a higher level of comfort, reduce the accident rate and to facilitate the development of road infrastructure, roadside service and round-the-clock service on the sections. The toll system is to be introduced on the sections after reconstruction works are completed.

Based on the indicators of the accident rate before and after the reconstruction of the roads, it is expected to significantly reduce the number of accidents. Here are some illustrative examples. On the highway “Aktobe-Uralsk-Russian border” the number of accidents after reconstruction decreased by 25%, on the road “Nur-Sultan-Pavlodar” by 46%, on the section “Kyzylorda-Shymkent-Taraz” by 43%, on “Pavlodar-Semey-Kalbatau” by 62%.