Nazarbayev’s Motorcade Caught Violating Traffic Rules in Astana and Almaty

Orda.kz reports on how it identified the private luxury motorcade of ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev and how its drivers repeatedly violate traffic rules in Astana and Almaty.

What vehicles Nazarbayev and his staff use is detailed below.

All the recorded administrative violations are registered to the private Bastau Development Fund, based in the Library of the First President at 1 Bokeikhan Street in Astana.

Other organizations linked to Nazarbayev are also located there. He is the sole founder of Bastau.

The fund’s activities are unclear, but in 2025 alone — which is not yet over — it has paid 255 million tenge in taxes.

We found that this fleet of luxury cars systematically breaks traffic rules.

The Former President's Fleet 

The fund’s registered cars are exclusively high-end models:

• Chevrolet Tahoe (~40 million tenge)
  
• Nissan Patrol (~50 million tenge)
  
• Mercedes-Benz S450 4MATIC (~90 million tenge)
  
• Lexus LX 570 (~85 million tenge)
  
• Cadillac Escalade (~95 million tenge)
  
• Tesla Model X (~80 million tenge)
  
• Three Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and one Land Cruiser 250 (45–60 million tenge each)
  
• Audi A6 (~50 million tenge)
  
• KIA Optima (~10 million tenge)
  
• Toyota Camry (~20 million tenge)
  
• BYD Song Plus (~20 million tenge)

The most frequent violations are: 

• driving in bus lanes
  
• speeding
  
• unpaid parking
  
• running red lights

The leader in violations is a white Land Cruiser Prado in Astana (he also has a black one in Astana and one in Almaty). According to protocols, the white Prado committed nine administrative violations, including speeding and driving in dedicated lanes in Astana.

Other vehicles in the fleet also appear in records.

The Chevrolet Tahoe has seven violations, mostly speeding. Notably, all speed infractions occurred in the same area — the Astana–Qaraganda highway, near the presidential state residence.

Dates include October 8, 11; November 1, 2 (twice), and November 22, 2024.

The Lexus LX 570 was recorded for unpaid parking and running a red light.

A Toyota Camry and Prado were caught speeding near the First President’s Library. The Cadillac Escalade was speeding, while the Audi A6 ran red lights in October 2024 and March 2025.

In Almaty, the fleet is smaller but includes electric cars — a BYD Song Plus and a Tesla Model X. Both were recorded for speeding and using bus lanes.

Violations were recorded in Astana (including near the parliament, the House of Ministries, and on Turan, Syganaq, Dostyq, and Qonayev streets) and in Almaty (Dostyq, Al-Farabi avenues).

Did Nazarbayev Travel in These Cars?

Most violations occurred in autumn 2024 or summer 2025, with some repeated in the same locations — suggesting a pattern.

We compared them with Nazarbayev’s public appearances in the capital.

For example, Nazarbayev was in Astana on June 21, visiting the main mosque in the afternoon with security. During the visit, he read verses from the Quran for his ancestors and deceased relatives and offered prayers for peace, stability, and unity in the country.

On October 6, 2024, he participated in the national referendum on building a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

The cars use license plate series CR, RR, DA, and SS, which indicate registration to a legal entity. Such combinations are common for vehicles on an organization’s balance sheet, not privately owned.

Exceptions include AV, KZ, and SK, used for representatives of the Presidential Administration and its security service.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov