Unmanned taxis are planned to be launched in Astana.

The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with the Ministry of Transport of the RK, the Akimat of Astana, and inDrive, signed a memorandum of intent to implement a pilot project for driverless taxis in the capital.

The project involves launching autonomous taxis in Astana in 2026 — the capital will be one of the first cities in the country where driverless vehicles will appear on the roads. The initiative is being implemented as part of the "smart city" development strategy and digital infrastructure, with the aim of improving safety, convenience, and the quality of urban mobility.

The first stage will involve creating a test range and establishing a regulatory "sandbox" to adapt legislation and prepare infrastructure. It is planned that work will begin in early 2026.

Zhaslan Madiev, Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, noted that the phased introduction of autonomous vehicles, with priority given to citizen safety, will simultaneously support innovation and strengthen public trust in new digital solutions.

The preliminary route for test drives has been selected from Astana International Airport to the Abu Dhabi Plaza shopping center. Before entering city streets, the vehicles will undergo risk assessment and will operate under the control of an operator and the manufacturer.

Arai Bekembayev, Head of inDrive Business in Kazakhstan, emphasized that partnership with government bodies is important for the development of autonomous mobility and providing users with safe and affordable rides through the inDrive mobile application.

Source: Gov.kz