Transit heavy trucks will no longer be able to drive through Astana, reports infohub.kz.
The capital's akimat has approved new traffic rules, according to which all freight transport passing through the city in transit must use the bypass road "Astana Bypass." The passage of such vehicles along city streets will be prohibited.
The new requirements apply only to transit traffic. If the final destination of the route is in Astana, the entry restrictions do not apply. For drivers of passenger cars, nothing will change: the resolution specifically notes that transit passage through the capital remains free for them.
According to the authorities' calculations, the new traffic scheme will help unload roads, reduce pavement wear, decrease rutting, and ease congestion.
Previously, similar restrictions for heavy trucks were introduced but were temporary. They were applied in summer to protect the road surface from deformation or limited truck traffic during daytime hours.
The resolution was adopted on the basis of the Constitutional Law "On the Status of the Capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and will come into force 10 calendar days after its first official publication.