Kazakhstan Tightens Operational Standards and Increases Fines for Passenger Transport

Kazakhstan has introduced new strict operational standards and increased requirements for passenger transportation services and technical inspection centers to improve road safety. Companies operating technical inspection centers must now obtain a special permit to continue operations. The government also announced that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ride-hailing services like Yandex and inDrive, authorities have removed approximately 70,000 right-hand-drive vehicles from passenger services. Future plans include a potential legal ban on using converted right-hand-drive cars as taxis.

The government increased penalties for violations, raising them from 30 to 100 MCI, which equates to approximately 130,000–430,000 tenge or 500–1,650 AZN. Inspection centers that conduct only formal inspections without proper technical checks risk having their operations suspended for up to three years.

The measures are part of coordinated efforts between regional authorities and businesses in Kazakhstan.