The Western Europe – Western China highway will become a paid toll road after 2016, according to the Otyrar.kz news agency. The revenue will be used to pay for road maintenance and construction.
According to Mukhtar Duissenbekov, director of the South Kazakhstan regional branch of the KazAvtoZhol national company, the toll amounts will vary depending on vehicle class and weight. Charges will be higher for passenger and freight transport vehicles than for cars.
“For one kilometre, road drivers of passenger cars will pay about 1 tenge (approximately half a cent). Totally, for 200 tenge (US$1.1) you can drive up to 160 kilometres. A separate tariff will be introduced for passenger cars. However, it would be more profitable to pay a monthly fee, of 5,000 tenge (US$27),” said Duysenbekov.
The South Kazakhstan region includes 224 kilometres of the Western Europe – Western China highway. At present, construction continues between Shymkent and Taraz, Shymkent and Tashkent. It is planned to put those sections into operation by 2022. About 600 toll stations will be established on the road after its completion.
