Astana Public Transport Fare Set at 150 Tenge Starting December 1, 2023

Starting December 1, 2023, Astana plans to implement a new public transport fare of 150 tenge. This decision comes in response to the significant increase in operating costs for transit providers over recent years.

Since 2014, when the fare was set at 90 tenge, it has been revised only once, currently standing at 110 tenge. Key expenses for providers, such as fuel costs, spare parts, new buses, and driver wages, have risen considerably. For instance, the price of diesel fuel has surged from 107 tenge per liter in 2014 to 329 tenge.

Driver wages have also increased significantly. In 2014, wages ranged from 100,000 to 150,000 tenge, whereas now they vary starting from 700,000 tenge, depending on the class of bus and work conditions.

Despite these rising operational costs, Astana has continued to upgrade its public transport system. In the past three years alone, 1,127 new vehicles meeting modern standards have been acquired.

Social support measures for the population are still in place. According to the decision by Astana city's Maslikhat on March 29, 2018, certain categories of citizens are exempt from paying for public transport. These categories include:

• Veterans and disabled individuals from World War II;
• Pensioners;
• Mothers and families with many children;
• Disabled individuals and children with disabilities;
• Victims of political repression.

Since March 2020, children under 18 enrolled in schools in Astana are also granted free rides.

Calculations based on the Fare Calculation Methodology indicate that by 2026, the average calculated cost per ride will significantly exceed the current rate. Therefore, setting a new fare of 150 tenge is deemed necessary to ensure the stable operation of public transport and to continue updating the bus fleet.

Photo: gov.kz