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Almaty has launched its first pilot Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the city center, effective April 28th. This initiative aims to monitor and improve air quality by understanding the impact of vehicle emissions.

What is the Low Emission Zone?

The initial zone is geographically defined, encompassing the area south of Bogenbai Batyr Street, north of Abay Avenue, east of Zheltoqsan Street, and west of Dostyk Avenue. The "Almaty Parking" company has been designated as the system operator for this project.

Pilot Phase and Driver Impact

Currently, the LEZ is operating in a pilot or testing phase. City officials have clarified that there are no restrictions, fines, or entry fees for drivers during this period. Vehicle movement within the designated zone continues as usual.

Project Goals and Future Plans

The primary objective of this pilot project is to collect data and test the digital infrastructure. Experts need to accurately assess how vehicle traffic affects air quality. The focus is on testing the technology, the accuracy of sensors, the speed of data exchange between systems, and the readiness of the infrastructure.

"We want to test the technology itself, how accurately the sensors collect information, how quickly the systems exchange data, and how ready the infrastructure is," explained a representative from the city's Ecology and Environmental Protection Department. "We are laying a reliable digital foundation for cleaning the air in our city in the future, based on real data, not just assumptions."

Testing Period and Regulatory Background

This testing phase is scheduled to continue until December 31, 2026. The initiative is part of broader efforts to improve atmospheric air quality in Almaty. In December 2025, the Almaty Maslikhat approved "Rules for the Protection of Atmospheric Air," which outline various measures for environmental protection.

Previously, Almaskhan Smatlaev, Deputy Mayor of Almaty, had indicated that only vehicles meeting Euro-5 standards or higher would be permitted in LEZ areas, with non-compliance leading to administrative penalties. However, the current pilot phase emphasizes data collection over enforcement.

The city administration has acknowledged the social significance of such measures and plans a phased implementation. A key aspect is the extended, fee-free pilot period to ensure a smooth transition and gather comprehensive data before any potential future charges are considered.

Some experts, like auto analyst Alexey Alekseev, suggest that the root causes of air pollution might lie elsewhere and that paid entry could be more about budget revenue than environmental solutions. City officials have previously stated that significant environmental initiatives, like paid entry, would only be implemented after public transport issues are resolved.

This information was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.