Almaty Plans to Buy Out Old Cars to Improve Air Quality

Authorities in Almaty are working on a mechanism to buy out outdated cars as one of the measures aimed at improving the city’s environmental situation, Orda.kz reports.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the interdepartmental council on environmental issues.

Following the meeting, Almaty akim Darkhan Satybaldy instructed officials to work out the creation of a specialized company that would buy vehicles with a low environmental class and arrange their disposal. The project is expected to be implemented jointly with the Department of Entrepreneurship and Investments and the Social and Entrepreneurial Corporation of Almaty.

The new structure is expected to operate as a subsidiary and introduce fleet-renewal mechanisms. These may include preferential loans, leasing programs and a trade-in system for the purchase of more environmentally friendly cars.

Authorities also plan to involve automakers, including Astana Motors and Orbis, in the project. They expect the measures to help reduce the number of old cars on the roads and lower harmful emissions, as vehicles remain the main source of air pollution in Almaty.

Original author: Rustam Muratov

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