kazakhstan and its cities are modernising but its urban centres still have issues to address before they can achieve their full potential as the engines of economic growth kazakhstan inherited a legacy of low car ownership and extensive but not always costefficient urban public transport from the soviet era however car ownership has risen rapidly since the s with the highest motorisation rate in almaty and astana and cars per inhabitants respectively in car ownership has been increased by the high demand for private automobiles moderate gasoline prices road extensions and improvements in and around big cities and the low quality of public transport services