An Almaty woman received a fine for stopping in a public transport lane after an unknown citizen filed multiple complaints through the E-Otinish electronic appeals system. The situation sparked a heated discussion on social media: some support civic control, others consider it excessive... reports the website infohub.kz.
Raushan Ali recounted on the social network Threads that she received a notification of an administrative traffic violation. When she contacted the service center of the Bostandyk District Police Department, she learned that one person had filed complaints against dozens of drivers. "I looked at two photos showing that I had stopped on a bus lane. Okay, fine, I'll pay the fine if I'm wrong. There were about 20 people like me in line to find out what we did wrong. The absurdity is that this citizen reported many people. Is this some new method?" she wrote.
In her opinion, not every stop in a prohibited place is a deliberate violation. "Maybe a person suddenly felt unwell. Maybe their blood pressure spiked or they had a seizure. In such a situation, the most correct thing to do is stop and turn on the hazard lights. Not every stop in the wrong place means the driver knowingly decided to break the law," the author of the post believes. At the same time, she emphasized that she does not justify violators, but simply wonders where the line is between civic responsibility and excessive initiative.
The publication sparked active discussion. Many users supported the practice of filing appeals via E-Otinish. "It works like this now: you violate – the civilian patrol records it – you receive a notification. If you can prove the stop was forced, there will be no fine. If not, you'll have to pay," wrote one commenter. Others admitted they send such appeals themselves: "I'm glad to read your post. I also write complaints in E-Otinish if I see gross traffic violations. Your post confirms that the system works," noted a user. Some believe this practice disciplines drivers: "I was also caught this way. A fine came, now I don't do that anymore."
At the same time, some users pointed to a shortage of parking spaces in cities and called for taking each situation's circumstances into account. "The number of cars is growing, there aren't enough parking spaces. As a result, the cost of fines is included in taxi, delivery, and other service tariffs. Ultimately, all residents will pay for it," wrote one discussion participant. Another user said that in Astana, after complaints from one resident, about a hundred drivers who parked near a bus stop and traffic light received fines.
In Kazakhstan, significant fines are imposed for a number of traffic violations. For example, failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk carries a fine of 10 MCI (monthly calculation index) — 43,250 tenge. For violating stopping or parking rules, the fine is 5 MCI — 21,625 tenge. If a car is parked on a sidewalk, green area, flowerbed, children's or sports ground, or in a spot designated for people with disabilities, the fine is 10 MCI — 43,250 tenge.