Kazakhstan driving test queues stretch to six months, deputy proposes reforms
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Kazakhstanis face waits of up to six months for driving tests at specialized public service centers, according to a deputy's inquiry. The shortage of slots and opaque booking has spawned paid intermediaries who resell queue places. Deputy Meirash Shynasilova proposed extending working hours, using private test tracks, and moving booking to eGov.
Key Facts
- Waiting times for driving tests at specialized public service centers in Kazakhstan reach up to six months.
- Deputy Meirash Shynasilova raised the issue in an inquiry to Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov.
- Astana, with a population of about two million including its agglomeration, has only one exam autodrome.
- Shynasilova proposed extending specialized public service center working hours to 20:00 and organizing shift work for examiners.
- The deputy proposed using facilities of the National Testing Center and the Agency for Civil Service Affairs for theory exams.
Queue Crisis
Citizens and driving schools report that waiting for an exam at specialized public service centers stretches to six months. Free slots are taken instantly, and the booking mechanism remains opaque. Under conditions of shortage and lack of transparency, paid intermediaries inevitably appear, Shynasilova stated. The situation is especially acute for practical exams, which are conducted mainly on specialized public service center autodromes.
Proposed Reforms
Shynasilova proposed extending specialized public service center working hours to 20:00 and organizing shift work for examiners. She suggested using facilities of the National Testing Center and territorial divisions of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs for theory exams. For practical exams, the deputy proposed allowing accredited private autodromes of advanced driving schools that meet unified technical safety standards. Booking should be conducted exclusively through the eGov portal and eGov Mobile app with a protected automatic distribution algorithm. Exam criteria, assessment rules, video surveillance requirements, and entry of results into the information system must be uniform for all exam points, Shynasilova said.