Couriers in Almaty to Be Required to Undergo Biometric Identification

Almaty is discussing stricter requirements for delivery services. The city police propose introducing mandatory biometric identification of couriers at all stages of their work.

The initiative was raised at a meeting of the Police Department with aggregators, the prosecutor’s office, and city services. The trigger was a high‑profile incident involving a courier, which sparked public demand for tighter control.

According to Aydyn Kabduldinov, head of the Almaty Police Department, the delivery market is developing rapidly, but public safety must remain a priority. Each courier gains access to residential premises and personal data, which requires strict identity verification.

The proposal includes biometric identification during order fulfillment, a ban on transferring accounts to third parties, and restrictions on hiring foreign labor.

Special emphasis is placed on compliance with traffic rules. Police insist on constant monitoring of couriers to prevent accidents and risks for pedestrians.

Discussions also cover assigning serial numbers to courier bags and cases, registering them in the system, and possibly installing GPS trackers to monitor routes.

Step‑by‑step identity verification during order execution should prevent the use of other people’s accounts and increase customer trust in delivery services.

Prosecutors stressed the need for all market participants to comply with the law and highlighted aggregators’ readiness to share information with authorities.

Participants also discussed aligning platform regulations with legal requirements and eliminating incentives for accelerated delivery at the expense of safety.

Police stated that if systemic changes are not implemented, additional regulatory measures will be initiated.