Another incident involving an overload control system has been recorded on the Astana-Karaganda-Almaty highway. This is the third such case in 2026, reports infohub.kz.
According to the press service of the national operator KazAvtoZhol, control over freight vehicles exceeding permissible loads is being tightened on Kazakhstan's roads. Since the beginning of the year, three cases of fire have been recorded at automated measuring systems (AMS) designed to monitor vehicle weight parameters. The causes and circumstances of each incident are being established by law enforcement agencies.
The latest incident occurred on August 28 at the 15th kilometer of the Astana-Karaganda-Almaty highway near Kuigenzhar. At about 2:15 a.m., a fire broke out at an AMS facility. The system recorded the last passage of vehicles at 2:11 a.m., just minutes before the incident. Police and forensic officers were called to the scene. Thanks to the design of the equipment cabinet, the equipment inside, according to preliminary data, remained in working order. The causes of the fire and all circumstances are currently being established.
KazAvtoZhol noted that three such cases in one year require special attention. If the intentional damage to the AMS is confirmed, it is not just about disabling road equipment. This is damage to property used for state control, ensuring the safety of highways, and compliance with established weight norms. AMS automatically record the weight and axle parameters of freight vehicles. Such control is primarily necessary to protect roads from overload.
The company added that systematic exceeding of permissible loads accelerates the formation of ruts and deformations, destroys the road structure, and shortens the intervals between repairs. Ultimately, the consequences of overload are paid for by the whole society through additional costs for road restoration. "The fight is not against freight transport, but against overload. Thousands of carriers work daily in compliance with legal requirements. But the desire to transport more cargo in one trip cannot be realized at the expense of destroying state roads and the safety of other road users. We urge carriers to comply with established weight and axle norms," the company appealed to carriers.