Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has ordered checks of road cameras and stronger detection of drivers using phones while moving. Such violations are already recorded in some cities. RAEM.KZ examines what is changing and what currently carries a fine.
At a government meeting on September 22, Bektenov called for road systems to detect more instances of phone use behind the wheel. The Interior Ministry and local authorities were also instructed to check installed cameras, Zakon.kz’s correspondent reported from the meeting.
The instruction has not yet been accompanied by a published camera reconfiguration schedule. Cities receiving new functions and launch dates have not been named.
Cameras already detect drivers with phones
Recording these violations is not new in Kazakhstan. In January 2026, Pavlodar Region police reported two drivers using phones while moving. They were spotted through Operational Control Center cameras and held accountable.
In December 2024, the government had already instructed authorities to expand camera functions, including detection of phone conversations. The new instruction brings the issue back onto the agenda and adds checks of existing equipment.
The network is extensive: according to Interior Ministry figures presented on September 22, Kazakhstan has 32,000 automated traffic violation detection systems. This does not mean all 32,000 can recognize a phone in a driver’s hand. The ministry has not said how many currently have that capability or how many will be reconfigured.
What carries a fine
Headlines suggesting drivers will be prohibited even from touching a smartphone extend the meaning of the current rule. Article 591 of the Code of Administrative Offences penalizes using a phone while driving. It permits conversations through headphones or hands-free equipment.
The fine is five monthly calculation indices (MCI) for a first violation and ten MCI for a repeat violation within a year after a penalty. With the 2026 MCI set at 4,325 tenge, these amounts are 21,625 and 43,250 tenge, respectively.
An important question remains unanswered by the new instruction: how camera recordings will be assessed in disputed cases. Detecting an object in a driver’s hand and establishing phone use are different tasks. The announcement does not describe review procedures or automatic fine issuance.
The government wants stronger enforcement of an already punishable violation. The next step is to explain which cameras will be reconfigured, how detection accuracy will be checked and when the new settings will take effect.
