Smart Ticketing System for Kazakhstan Public Transport: Challenges and the Way Forward

Over the last decades, different ticketing systems for public transport have been introduced, and some have shown success while others have not. Kazakhstan has also introduced electronic ticketing systems in some cities. It is expected that such systems will improve the travel experience, provide transparency, reduce costs, increase tax collections, and contribute toward the smart city policy. However, the introduction of such systems requires collective actions from the participants of such complex ecosystems who have different needs to be satisfied. Hence, this paper aims to analyze the stakeholders’ needs and map out the challenges and opportunities of implementing automatic fare collection systems in Kazakhstan. Therefore, the public transport system in Pavlodar city was purposefully selected as a case study. The study draws some recommendations for a smooth digital transformation of the public transport system in an average city of Kazakhstan.