Almaty is proposing to revise tariffs for municipal paid parking: currently, an hour of parking costs 100 tenge regardless of location, but the city intends to abandon the flat rate, reports infohub.kz.

According to the city akimat's press service, the current tariff has been in effect since 2016. Since then, the number of cars in the metropolis has exceeded one million, causing real chaos on roads and near parking lots: drivers circle the center for hours looking for a free spot, create traffic jams, and park in a second row.

Now the cost of parking is proposed to be tied to street congestion. The draft was presented at a session of the Almaty maslikhat:

100 tenge per hour — in areas with fewer cars;

150 tenge per hour — in zones with medium congestion;

200 tenge per hour — in the most popular places with high demand (for example, near large shopping centers).

This approach is also used in other cities around the world. In Moscow, parking costs depend on the congestion of a specific street. In central districts, tariffs reach 600 rubles (about 3,200 tenge) per hour, and in some areas dynamic pricing applies up to 800 rubles (approximately 4,300 tenge).

In European cities, differentiated parking pricing is also common. For example, in central Amsterdam, an hour of parking costs an average of 4.22 euros (about 2,200 tenge), and on some central streets — 7.50 euros (approximately 3,900 tenge). A study by the European transport community showed that raising parking costs can reduce demand for street parking spaces and the number of car trips.

Compared to global practice, our 200 tenge per hour is very modest.

At the same time, in Almaty, residents of buildings near paid parking retain privileges. They will be able to obtain a special permit and use parking spaces near their homes for free.

The authors of the draft believe that the new system will free up parking spaces in the most congested areas. At the same time, the city will be able to earn more revenue from the most in-demand parking lots.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that Almaty maslikhat deputies supported a draft of new rules for vehicle access to Medeu and Shymbulak. The draft was presented by Arshad Bakhtygereyev, deputy head of the Almaty Department of Ecology and Environment.