Almaty Could Restrict Cars Under Beijing-Style Anti-Smog Plan

Kazakhstan may consider restricting car traffic in Almaty using a model similar to Beijing’s, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev said, Orda.kz reports.

Nysanbayev pointed to Beijing’s traffic-control system, under which cars are allowed on the roads only on certain days depending on whether their license plate ends in an odd or even number. He said a ministry delegation and environmental experts visited China earlier this year to study how the country improved air quality in major cities over the past 10–15 years. 

He said the Chinese experience showed the importance of converting urban transport to gas and electricity. According to the minister, Kazakhstan should consider similar approaches, including adopting environmental protection rules for large cities. He added that Almaty has already approved such standards. 

In any case, we proposed adopting environmental protection rules in cities by analogy with Beijing. Almaty has already approved such rules, which include a range of measures. As such, Almaty has no major industry polluting the city. Yes, there is CHPP-2, and its gasification is nearing completion. But most of the pollution comes from vehicles.the minister said.  

According to Nysanbayev, 748,000 vehicles are registered in Almaty, while about 400,000 more enter and leave the city every day. He said restricting traffic is being considered as one possible measure that, together with other steps, could help improve Almaty’s environmental situation. At the same time, he stressed that any specific mechanism would require further study and would need to reflect the characteristics of each city. 

Original author: Ilya Astakhov

Read also:

• Kazakhstan’s Air Pollution Isn’t Driven by Factories — Ministry of Ecology
• China Doubles Car Exports to Kazakhstan
• Almaty Cameras to Record New Driver Violations Starting March 12