Tolls on Kazakhstan's motorways are planned to reach 120 billion tenge in 2026. The figure is rising amid the expansion of the toll road network and an increase in the number of journeys.
HOW THE TOLL ROAD SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP
According to Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev, the introduction of toll road sections in Kazakhstan is being implemented in stages, reports Informburo.kz.
In 2025, their length was 4,900 kilometres, which is 53% more compared to 2024 (3,200 kilometres). The length of toll roads is expected to reach 6,700 km by 2026 and 10,000 km by 2029.
INCREASE IN TRAFFIC INTENSITY ON TOLL ROADS
With the increase in the number of toll sections, there is also a rise in traffic intensity. In 2025, 74 million vehicles travelled on toll roads, and in 2026 this figure is expected to rise to 92 million.
By 2029, it is projected that up to 145 million cars will use toll roads annually.
HOW TOLL COLLECTIONS WILL CHANGE
Due to the growth in the number of toll roads and increased traffic intensity, Kazakhstan plans to significantly increase the annual toll collection.
In 2025, revenue from toll collections amounted to 87 billion tenge; in 2026, growth to 120 billion tenge is expected. By 2029, the projected volume of collections could reach 250 billion tenge, nearly three times the level of the previous year.
OBJECTIVES OF INCREASING TOLL COLLECTIONS
The Transport Minister emphasised that the collected funds will be directed towards the maintenance and development of road infrastructure. This will not only maintain the quality of existing roads but also build new sections, improving road connections throughout Kazakhstan.
CONTEXT
The topic of toll roads in Kazakhstan often becomes a subject of public discussion.
In May 2022, the FBRK editorial team published a piece about who could profit from Kazakhstan's toll roads.
The investigation stated that in 2019, JSC "NC "KazAvtoZhol" signed an 11-year contract with a consortium of companies, including LLP "Computer Vision Technologies", linked to Timur Kulibayev, to create a toll collection system. In April 2020, the company held a tender for the manufacture and installation of control gantries worth over 3.4 billion tenge, which was won by JSC "NGSK KazStroyService". The cost of one gantry was approximately 32.5 million tenge.
Under the terms of the contract, the return on investment was to come from toll collections over 11 years. The investigation revealed that the company invested less than 2 billion tenge, while payments under the contract could have reached 138 billion tenge.
Later, the Ministry of Transport stated its intention to revise the terms of the contract with LLP "Computer Vision Technologies" and reduce operating costs.