Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov introduced to the staff of the Ministry of Transport the new Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Transport Asel Zhanasova. She replaced Nurlan Sauranbayev, and along with the position she inherited a whole list of unresolved issues: from bypassing weight control and damaged ASI stations to the quality of roads and the operation of the national operator.
WHO HEADS THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
Asel Zhanasova was appointed to the position by decree of the Head of State. Over the years she has headed the Zerde holding and Kazpost JSC, served as Vice-Minister of Trade and Integration, adviser to the President and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration. From 2022 to 2025 she headed Kazpost.
Introducing the new minister, Olzhas Bektenov thanked Nurlan Sauranbayev for his work and outlined the priorities of the transport sector. Among them are the quality of construction of local and republican roads, the development of roadside infrastructure, the reconstruction of road checkpoints, which is planned to be completed in 2027, and strengthening Kazakhstan's role as a transport and logistics hub of Eurasia.
WHAT PROBLEMS HAVE ACCUMULATED IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR
One of the problems that the FBRA has written about repeatedly is the operation of automated measurement stations (ASI) designed to control the weight and dimensional parameters of freight transport.
As of 20 October 2026, Kazakhstan had installed 83 stations out of 220: 47 on republican and 36 on regional roads. At the same time, drivers continue to bypass control points, use alternative routes, remove or obscure number plates, and overload lorries after passing through an ASI.
The problem is not limited to bypassing. In the Turkestan region, out of five ASIs put into operation, two have broken down: one was set on fire, at the other a transformer and sensor cables were damaged. The damage from the arson was estimated at KZT 20.6 million; the cost of restoring the second station had not yet been determined at the time of the response. In August 2026, the FBRA also reported an arson of an ASI on the Astana — Karaganda motorway, where, according to the police, a CCTV camera was not working.
Against this background, the story of the detention of two transport officials is particularly important. According to the National Security Committee (NSC), they are suspected of ensuring the unhindered passage of lorries exceeding the permissible weight. The investigation reported material rewards amounting to more than KZT 40 million. Both suspects were taken into custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
A separate area is the reliability of freight transport records. The FBRA reported on six tractor units that the company Vektor Shipping Co temporarily imported into Kazakhstan in 2017–2021 and then officially exported. Later, during proceedings on the recycling fee, it emerged that the same VIN numbers appear simultaneously in the Kazakh and Russian databases. In another case, in the Akmola region, two identical Shacman lorries with the same state number plate were stopped: the second vehicle's number did not match the VIN code, and the lorry itself was not registered.
ROAD QUALITY AND THE OPERATION OF KAZAVTOZHOL
The sector's problems do not end with weight control. The FBRA has raised separate questions about the quality of road works and supervision by KazAvtoZhol National Company JSC.
In 2026, specialists conducted about 50 inspections and identified 1,670 defects and violations. Contractors remedied 831 issues — that is 49.8% of the total. For improper supervision, technical oversight experts were fined KZT 53.4 million, and a further 22 specialists lost their positions.
Among the defects identified were cracks, potholes, rutting and displacement of the asphalt concrete surface. In the summer, the FBRA also reported on temperature deformation of the cement concrete surface on the Astana — Pavlodar motorway.
Questions also arose at the level of the company's management. During one of the reports by Darkhan Imanashev, Chairman of the Management Board of KazAvtoZhol, Olzhas Bektenov noted that the report did not mention a number of unresolved problems, primarily related to road quality.
