Interior Minister names deadliest Kazakhstan roads; Almaty-Tashkent highway leads with 60 deaths

September 22, 2026 at 10:47 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov told a government meeting on September 22 that the Almaty–Tashkent highway in Zhambyl region recorded 60 road deaths, the highest of any road section in Kazakhstan. He said half of all road fatalities occur on roads of republican significance and that only 16% of roads meet modern standards. Transport Minister Nurlan Saurambayev reported that road accidents on republican roads fell 10% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

Key Facts

The Almaty–Tashkent highway in Zhambyl region recorded 60 road deaths, the highest of any road section in Kazakhstan.
Half of all road fatalities in Kazakhstan occur on roads of republican significance, Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov said.
Only 16% of roads meet modern standards, according to Sadenov.
Road accidents on republican roads fell 10% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, Transport Minister Nurlan Saurambayev reported.
On sections with average speed control systems, road accidents fell 10%, deaths fell 33%, and injuries fell 12%, Sadenov said.

Deadliest Road Sections

Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov told a government meeting on September 22 that the Almaty–Tashkent highway in Zhambyl region recorded 60 deaths, the highest of any road section in Kazakhstan. He listed other high-fatality sections: Almaty–Bishkek in Almaty region with 33 deaths, Almaty–Oskemen with 12, Almaty–Kokpekty–Koktal with 17, Shymkent–Samara in Aktobe region with 19, and Aktobe–Atyrau with 14. Sadenov said half of all road fatalities occur on roads of republican significance.

Road Safety Measures

Sadenov said only 16% of roads meet modern standards and that 6,000 km of category 1 roads need to be built. He cited the four-lane Karaganda–Almaty highway, where deaths fell 47% after its launch, as an example of the effectiveness of category 1 roads. Sadenov said the Ministry of Transport and KazAvtoZhol must accelerate work on this issue. Transport Minister Nurlan Saurambayev reported that road accidents on republican roads fell 10% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, deaths fell 14%, and injuries fell 11%. Saurambayev attributed the main causes of accidents to driver violations: 35% speeding, 12% failure to keep distance, 11% loss of control, and 8% driving into oncoming traffic.

Digital Enforcement Expansion

Sadenov said the number of automatic traffic violation detection systems has been increased from 28,000 to 32,000. He said artificial intelligence is used to monitor vehicles, identifying drivers who have been behind the wheel for more than 8 hours and stolen cars. The average speed control system currently covers 2,800 km across 12 sections of toll roads, Sadenov said. On sections with average speed control, road accidents fell 10%, deaths fell 33%, and injuries fell 12%, Sadenov said. Sadenov said the Interior Ministry, together with the Transport Ministry, will install the system on 16 more sections by the end of the year.