Many will remember the memorable days in November 2015, when lines of truckers could be found on the roads holding protests in a “snail” pattern against the introduction of tolls for the use of federal roads for heavy vehicles with a permissible weight of more than 12 tons. The essence was simple, as always, when the lower classes cannot, and the upper classes do not want, but the revolution did not happen... The fee for heavy trucks was introduced on November 15, 2015. This means that life for truck drivers has become somewhat more difficult. They have new rights and responsibilities, and new fines for failure to fulfill their duties. It is about payment according to the Platon system and about fines if this is not done that we will talk in our article.
The emergence of a new operator participating in the collection of funds for the use of federal roads
Back in August 2014, Order of the Government of the Russian Federation N 1662 was signed by the Chairman of the Government D.A. Medvedev. It should be noted that this order already mentioned the participants of RT-Invest LLC and entrepreneur Igor Rotenberg. The latter is mentioned on the website of the RT-Invest company.
That is, lobbying of interests of unprecedented generosity took place when, outside of competition and tender, executors were appointed for an important and monetary project. It is also interesting that in fact, contributions to the federal budget for road repairs are collected by “private owners” who are related to the state insofar as. Well, the chairman of the government clearly knows better what to do than mere mortals.
How can heavy trucks pay for using federal roads?
Since there is already an operator, it is necessary to enter into a legal relationship with him. You can do this in three ways:
Register on the Platon system website;
- formalize contractual relations at the nearest system office;
- use a self-service terminal (only for payment; it is impossible to obtain a card or device)
At the same time, based on where you go and what you prefer, you may be given either a reusable on-board device. Or a route card – disposable.
In this case, the device or card will be issued upon verification of all provided data, and this for an individual:
E-mail address.
Cell phone number.
TIN.
Bank details.
Scanned vehicle registration certificate.
For legal entities, everything is much more complicated. As a result, the device or card will be issued at the office immediately, and after registration through the website in about 5 days. After arriving at the same office. That is why going to the office is preferable.
Here it should be noted that it is better to take a reusable device, it will become universal, unlike a card. The device does not require you to register a route, unlike a map. In this case, payment will be charged based on determining the location (route) of vehicles using GLONASS or GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation technologies.
The only thing left to say is that payment can be made through a bank or through a bank card. In the future, it will be possible to make payments through terminals in cash.
Where and how to install a device for reading tolls (use) of federal roads for heavy trucks over 12 tons
Now about the technical part, that is, about the devices that provide vehicle identification, as well as those that transfer data and make calculations during the trip. (crediting and debiting payments).
The Platon system device must be connected to the vehicle’s on-board network during the entire trip. It should be as close to the windshield as possible to ensure communication with it. However, it is not recommended to install the latter near the heated glass. This requirement is related to reducing interference during signal transmission.
The main indicator of the device's operation is the green LED. It is he who signals that everything is in order. If it does not light up, then this is a cause for concern, since in this case the driver of the heavy truck may be subject to a fine, which we will talk about later.
The amount of payment for each kilometer for the use of federal roads for heavy trucks over 12 tons (according to the Platon system)
Initially it was planned that the amount would be 3.5 rubles per kilometer. However, after protests by truckers, the government slightly reduced rates. Thus, the tariff for heavy trucks when driving on public federal highways until February 29, 2016 will be 1.53 rubles. per kilometer traveled, and from March 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 - 3.06 rubles. However, they didn’t wait until 2018.
Moscow, 2016, November 2. The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has prepared a draft resolution, according to which the tariff of the Platon system will be raised to 3.73 rubles per 1 km.
Which article regulates the fine for non-payment of toll (use) of federal roads by heavy vehicles over 12 tons?
Under the new law, it was necessary to supplement the Code of Administrative Offenses with a new article or paragraph, which was done. Thus, on November 15, 2015, Article 12.21.3 “Failure to comply with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on payment of payment for compensation for damage caused to public roads of federal significance by vehicles with a permissible maximum weight of over 12 tons” appeared.
Now it remains to study article and resolution No. 504 of June 14, 2013 “On the collection of fees to compensate for damage caused to public roads of federal significance by vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of over 12 tons” for what is a violation and what In this case, a fine will be charged to the driver.
What is the fact of non-payment when using federal roads for heavy trucks over 12 tons?
Let's start with the resolution, or rather even the rules attached to it, “Rules for collecting fees to compensate for damage caused to public roads...”. They contain paragraph 12, which we will quote:
| Movement without paying a fee is considered to be: movement of the vehicle with the on-board unit turned off or faulty without the owner of the vehicle paying money to the operator and informing the operator in accordance with paragraph 9 of these Rules; |
There is no need to comment on anything here. As they say, it is written in Russian in white, and there is nothing to add. So everything is clear. Now about the fine for such deviations from the rules.
Fine for failure to pay for the use of federal roads for heavy vehicles of more than 12 tons
We return again to our newly introduced article of the Code of Administrative Offenses 12.21.3 of the Russian Federation and look at its points:
It should be noted here that legislators did not stop there and went further, namely by writing paragraph 2 of this article, which provides for more severe punishment in the event of a repeated violation. So, let's look at part 2:
It remains to add that a repeated violation is considered within a year from the date of entry into force of the resolution, in accordance with Code of Administrative Offenses 4.6 of the Russian Federation.
Chronology of developments after truckers' strikes for the abolition of tolls for trucks (heavy duty trucks) with a permissible weight of more than 12 tons
On December 15, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a document providing for amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, according to which a legal entity (the owner of a truck) must pay a fine of 5,000 rubles for failure to pay for travel under the Platon system, and 10,000 rubles for a repeated violation. This is significantly less than the amounts initially established - previously, a legal entity was supposed to be fined 450,000 rubles for the first violation and 1,000,000 rubles for the second.
Also, according to the amendments, heavy trucks entering from abroad will be exempt from paying a fine if the car has traveled no more than 50 kilometers from the border, and the driver managed to pay the toll using the Platon system after the violation was recorded, but before the case is considered.
Also on December 20, 2015, the president made a proposal to abolish the transport tax for trucks over 12 tons. The change was considered by the government in 2016, but was never adopted.
Is it possible to pay a fine for Plato with a 50 percent discount?
Since the beginning of 2016, innovations have appeared in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in Article 32.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which allow for the possibility of paying a 50 percent discount on certain articles related to traffic violations. These articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation also include fines under the “Platon” system.
That is, if the driver has been issued a fine, no matter which person, be it an individual or a legal entity, the fine for violating toll requirements for heavy trucks can be paid with a 50 percent discount. The main thing here is to meet deadlines. Pay no later than 20 days from the date of the decision and no earlier than the fine enters the traffic police database.
Question and answer on the topic “Charging fees for trucks over 12 tons and fines in case of non-payment of payment”
Question: Will there be a fine if the money was deposited, but the Platon device was turned off during the trip?
Answer: Yes, they will. Initially, the fine will be from 5,000 rubles. Repeatedly from 50,000 rubles.
Question: Will a fine be imposed on a driver who does not use his own device, but drives his own car, if the device account does not allow him to pay for the trip?
Answer: Yes, they will. The fine will be issued primarily to the owner of the vehicle.
Good afternoon, dear reader.
This document has been significantly improved. Suffice it to say that the changes took up more than 50 A4 sheets. If you wish, you can independently study the updated text of the Rules in full, and within the framework of this article the most interesting innovations will be considered:
First of all, the changes affected the structure of the charging rules. Previously, it was a relatively small document containing only 12 paragraphs.
Starting from November 15, 2016, these 12 points were combined into section number 1. In addition, sections 2, 3, 4, 5, as well as appendices number 1 and number 2 were added to the rules. In general, the text of the document has increased several times.
Payment records for vehicle owners
The first interesting innovation is the ability creating settlement records for vehicle owners:
“account record” - a record formed by the operator in relation to the owner (owner) of the vehicle to account for funds contributed by the owner (owner) of the vehicle to the operator and their transfer to the federal budget;
5 1. At the request of the owner (holder) of the vehicle or his authorized representative, the operator redistributes funds between settlement records belonging to one owner (owner) of the vehicle, opens the number of additional settlement records required by the owner (holder) of the vehicle and forms a group of vehicles in connection with such settlement records. In this case, the total number of settlement records of the owner (owner) of vehicles cannot exceed the number of vehicles registered in the register in relation to this owner (possessor) of vehicles.
Opening and closing additional settlement records for the owner (holder) of vehicles is carried out in accordance with paragraphs 73 - 79 of these Rules.
So, what is the essence of settlement records? They allow the vehicle owner to group their vehicles and for individual groups to have their own account for payment. This is a useful feature for those who own a large number of vehicles.
For example, a construction organization has 100 vehicles. You can divide them into several groups. For example, dump trucks, cranes, fuel tankers. Each group will have its own balance. If dump trucks completely exhaust the budget allocated to them for movement on federal highways, this will not affect cranes and fuel trucks in any way.
So, starting from November 15, 2016, it is possible to divide vehicles into priority groups and reserve more funds for the most important vehicles.
Possibility of canceling the issued route map
Another interesting innovation affected route maps:
10 2. The route map can be used during its validity period for the movement of one vehicle on public roads of federal significance in accordance with the route specified in it in one direction at the date and time specified in the route map.
An issued route card can only be canceled before the start date of its validity specified in the route card.
Firstly, the rules now clearly state that the route card can only be used once, with no exceptions.
Secondly, it is possible to cancel a paid route card. However, this can only be done before its effect begins.
Please note that you cannot cancel route cards issued for a vehicle whose on-board unit is faulty or lost.
Features of working with the Platon system for foreign drivers and organizations
The updated rules also regulate special conditions for working with the Plato system for cars owned by foreign citizens or organizations:
To confirm compliance with the conditions for obtaining a deferment on payment of the fee, the owner (owner) of the vehicle provides the operator with certified copies of documents confirming the state registration in the Russian Federation of the owner (holder) of the vehicle - a legal entity, as well as confirming that the address of the place of residence or place of stay of the owner ( the owner) of the vehicle - an individual is the Russian Federation and the place of registration of the vehicle is the Russian Federation.
1. Foreign vehicles can use the Platon system only after pre-payment of travel (after depositing money into the personal account), this was known before. However, starting from November 15, in order to receive an installment plan, car owners must provide documents confirming the registration of the owner and the car itself in the Russian Federation. This clause is intended to protect against fraud on the part of foreign drivers.
51. The owners (possessors) of vehicles registered in accordance with the legislation of another state, or their authorized representatives, submit documents to the operator with a translation into Russian, the accuracy of which is notarized in the manner established by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
2. Foreign vehicle owners when using the Platon system must provide documents to the operator together with notarized translation. This clause removes the previously existing issue regarding the translation of documents written in other languages. Now everything is clear here; you need a translation certified by a notary.
91. For owners (possessors) of vehicles registered in a foreign state, the operator establishes additional interim measures, the execution of which by such owners (possessors) of vehicles is necessary to obtain an on-board unit.
As an interim measure, the owner (holder) of vehicles registered in a foreign country provides the operator with funds equivalent to the cost of the received on-board devices by transferring them to the operator’s account using the details provided by the operator.
If the owner (holder) of vehicles registered in a foreign country returns on-board devices to the operator, the operator returns to such owner (holder) of the vehicles the funds provided as an interim measure, except for the cases provided for in paragraph 101 of these Rules.
3. Deposit when using the Plato system. Let me remind you that on-board devices of the Plato system are issued to users free of charge for temporary use.
Foreign drivers are now subject to special conditions that require a deposit for the on-board unit. After the foreign car leaves the territory of the Russian Federation and the on-board unit is handed over to the Platon system operator, the deposit is returned to the car owner.
Until November 15, 2016, there were no such rules, so foreigners could safely take on-board devices to their homeland. Naturally, such a device turns into a useless thing abroad. However, the system operator suffers losses if a significant number of devices simply disappear from circulation. The new clause will prevent the theft of on-board devices by foreigners.
Possibility of returning overpaid or written off funds
Issues regarding the return of overpaid funds are discussed in detail in the updated document.
In practice, 2 situations may arise:
- Refund of funds deposited to the balance but not spent while driving.
- Refund of funds erroneously written off by the system operator.
In the first case, regarding the return, you need to contact the operator (information support center) directly with a statement. The procedure for applying is described in detail in Chapter III. In general, refunds should not be a problem.
As for funds that were erroneously written off by the system operator, the situation here is more complicated. To return, you need to contact the Federal Treasury. Nevertheless, problems should not arise here either.
Detailed requirements for on-board devices
Well, the last interesting question, which received a lot of attention in the updated Rules. These are detailed technical requirements intended for developers of third-party on-board devices.
7 1. Information on the technical parameters of the operation of the toll collection system in relation to on-board devices and third-party on-board devices, including information on data transfer protocols and the procedure for personalizing the cryptographic modules of such devices, is provided by the operator to persons who are not the owners (owners) of vehicles, in agreement with the Federal Road Agency .
7 2. The operator maintains a register of types of third-party on-board devices approved for use in the toll collection system on its website on the Internet.
The decision on approval for the use of a certain type of third-party on-board device in the toll collection system and its inclusion in the specified register is made by the operator within 30 working days from the date of provision of such third-party on-board device by the manufacturer based on the test results of samples of such third-party on-board device.
For ordinary drivers, in this case, the first paragraph of paragraph 7 2 is important, which states that approved models of third-party on-board devices are published on the official website of the Plato system. So if you are planning to purchase such a device, I recommend that you first make sure whether it is on the approved list.
As for developers of third-party on-board devices, the new document also contains quite a lot of information for them. Firstly, paragraph 7 2 provides information on how to obtain approval for a developed device.
The Russian government is not discussing the introduction of a moratorium or the abolition of the Platon system, which charges heavy trucks weighing more than 12 tons for travel on federal highways from November 15, the TASS agency reported on Thursday, citing Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.
He said the cabinet was exploring options to avoid the negative impact of heavy vehicle tolls on small businesses.
Dvorkovich said that a letter sent to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on behalf of several producer associations spoke of an impending price increase on New Year's Eve in connection with the implementation of the system. "This is wrong. The effect of introducing the system on prices may be minimal, and according to all calculations, for the vast majority of goods we are talking about tenths of a percent,” Dvorkovich noted.
In his opinion, a number of companies want to increase prices on the eve of the New Year holidays due to increased demand and are trying to link this price increase with the implementation of the system. He emphasized that cases of unjustified price increases will be “monitored and investigated by the antimonopoly service in the prescribed manner.”
On Thursday, December 10, the Kommersant newspaper reported that the association of food producers and retail trade of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will establish a test mode of operation of “Platon” with a zero fare for trucks, since problems with the system lead to increased costs goods.
Manufacturers proposed switching the system to post-payment mode and developing alternative ways of collecting tolls from heavy trucks and monitoring their collection. A corresponding appeal to Medvedev was signed by 20 organizations, including the National Meat Association, Rusprodsoyuz, the Fish Union, Soyuzmoloko, the Grain Union, the Association of Retail Trade Companies and the Union of Independent Chains.
"Plato" began operating on November 15. From this day on, trucks with a carrying capacity of over 12 tons must pay 1.53 rubles for each kilometer traveled on federal highways. From March 1, 2016, the fee is planned to be increased to 3.06 rubles per 1 km.
The collected funds are supposed to be sent to the road fund in the form of compensation for the destruction of highways by heavy vehicles. The cost of the system was 29 billion rubles, the collection rate over 13 years should be 1 trillion rubles.
The introduction of the Platon system was accompanied by technical difficulties and caused sharp protests from truckers. On December 4, truckers will rally on the Moscow Ring Road.
The operator of Platon is the company RT-Invest Transport Systems (RTITS), a joint venture of Igor Rotenberg and the investment fund RT-invest (25.01% owned by Rostec). On December 3, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov suggested that Igor Rotenberg became the operator of the system thanks to the friendship of his father, a billionaire, with Vladimir Putin.
December 9 Medvedev that the introduction of a toll system for trucks will bring additional investment in roads. “It’s a common place among us to criticize Russian roads. Where can we get money for them?” - he asked.
It is expected that in 2016 Platon will collect about 40 billion rubles in fare payments. The authorities promise to spend this money on repairing federal highways.
Vladimir Putin made it clear that the Platon system of charging truckers will not be abolished, despite numerous and widespread protests by drivers throughout the country. As a consolation, the president promised them at the beginning of 2016 to abolish the transport tax for heavy trucks. Truckers are not happy with this, and they intend to continue protests.
During his annual press conference, President Vladimir Putin for the first time personally commented on the tense situation with truck drivers dissatisfied with the new fees for travel on federal highways for 12-ton trucks under the Platon system. Since November, thousands of truckers across Russia have united and began to oppose tolls, which, according to their arguments, will make small trucking businesses completely unprofitable and will deprive thousands of families of income.
The leaders of trade unions immediately drew attention to the fact that payment in the amount of 1.53 rubles. per kilometer (3.06 rubles from March 2016) will essentially become a third tax in addition to the existing excise taxes included in the price of gasoline and the transport tax, which are significantly higher than what car owners pay. In addition, according to trade unions, a significant increase in the cost of road carrier services will inevitably lead to an additional increase in prices in stores. As a result, a wave of mass unauthorized rallies and protests swept through the largest Russian cities, and some drivers rushed to Moscow.
"Plato" will not be canceled
In his answer to the question about the fate of Platon and truckers, Putin made it clear that there would be no abolition of the system, which some road carriers demand.
In addition, he explained the choice of contractors by the fact that they were able to bring significant investments to launch the payment collection system. Let us explain that the participants in the concession agreement for the creation of Plato, together with Rosavtodor, are RT-Invest LLC and 42-year-old businessman Igor Rotenberg, who is the son of a famous billionaire and longtime acquaintance of President Arkady Rotenberg. The personality of Igor Rotenberg causes particular dissatisfaction among the protesting drivers, many of whom are confident that fees from drivers will go to him personally.
All fees from the Platon system go 100% to the road fund of the Russian Federation, to the last penny. And from there, every last penny of the proceeds goes to road construction in the regions of the Russian Federation.
Second. Where does the joint venture between Russian Technologies and a private company receive funds? They receive this money from the budget directly. In my opinion, there is somewhere around 10 billion rubles. (financing for RT-Invest LLC for 2016 is planned in the amount of 10.6 billion rubles - Gazeta.Ru). For the repair of this system, for maintaining its working condition, for development. This means that everything can be verified, including by the public and the Accounts Chamber. If someone thinks that these prices are too high, let them count and present it. And it will be right. Income from Platon does not go to companies that have private investors and Russian Technologies."
Putin explained the introduction of the Platon system by the presence of “gray” work schemes among truck drivers.
“In the automotive industry, taxes are paid - partly they only pay for infrastructure, through the excise tax on gasoline, but only partly,” the president said. “And in other industries, full payment for infrastructure. Part of the cargo began to migrate to roads. A huge number of trucks appeared that negatively influence on it. But they pay the same tax. Experts believe that during acceleration and braking, the impact on the roadbed of 12-ton trucks is more destructive than passenger cars. And they pay the same. We have canceled the licensing of this type of activity. In practice, it has led to the appearance of a large the number of people who simply buy heavy trucks and use it. This is an absolutely “gray” economic scheme.
Cancel transport tax and work with patents
Following a serious reduction in fines for non-payment of travel, Putin announced another serious relief for truckers, which will be the abolition of the transport tax. Putin demanded that this be done no later than the first quarter of 2016.
“They pay for the mileage of heavy-duty vehicles in many countries of the world, in Belarus seven times more than what is proposed in Russia,” Putin said. “But we still talked about the fact that when switching to this system, the transport tax could be abolished,” Putin said. not cancelled. By the way, at the insistence of regional leaders, because the transport tax goes to regional budgets. But for heavy trucks that have to pay for mileage, this must be done.
And I very much hope that the government will do this in the very near future, at the beginning of the year. “I hope that all these decisions that I mentioned, including on the vehicle tax, will be made by the government in the near future, no later than in the first quarter.”
The head of state also expressed hope that the government will consider changes to the patent system for heavy truck drivers.
“How can we do so as not to overburden them with fees, fees and taxes? There is a simple way - to give them the opportunity to purchase a patent, an inexpensive one. But there is a problem here. Patents are issued for a year, but there are seasonal transportation. Well, let the government think about this in advance and will do this," Putin emphasized.
It won't get any easier without transport tax
“Transport tax is 20-40 thousand rubles per year per truck, and Platon is 200-300 thousand per year,” said Valery Voitko, coordinator of the “Trucker” association, to Gazeta.Ru. “It turns out that The abolition of transport tax does not at all compensate for the introduction of "Plato". The transport tax rate for a 12-ton truck is calculated based on over 210 hp, on average, engines from 220 to 500 hp are installed on such trucks. Motors with a power of 360 are most often used hp and 420 hp At the same time, revenues from transport tax go to regional budgets.
These funds generally do not reach the roads, but are sent to the social sphere - salaries and benefits for public sector employees, healthcare costs. So think about what this situation will lead to in the regions that will lose this source of income."
Voitko assured Gazeta.Ru that his group of truckers will continue to defend their position, and drew attention to the fact that now carriers who will continue to work in the new conditions have no choice but to include the cost of transportation in the cost of products. And this has already led to an increase in prices in stores.
In turn, the leader of the interregional trade union of professional drivers, Alexander Kotov, believes that the abolition of the transport tax will still lead to a decrease in regional budget revenues that are used for road construction.
“This is a prerequisite for all regional roads to eventually become toll roads, and Platon will earn money not only on federal highways,” said Kotov. “The main income of the regions that goes to the budget for road construction is precisely the transport tax. If "If we cancel it now, then less money will come in. After all, you won't be able to collect much from passenger cars. Consequently, you will have to look for either other sources of funding, or introduce a fee for using federal roads for everyone."
Driver Magomed Magomedov from Dagestan, who owns several trucks and took part in the rally from Dagestan to Moscow, told Gazeta.Ru that
for a 380 hp truck. he has to pay a tax of 14 thousand rubles every quarter. “But if I drive 100 thousand km a year, I will spend at least 300 thousand rubles,” Magomedov explained.
But we have our own customs, we need to collect money for bride price in order to marry off our daughters, I can no longer do this. And we fought for this country. The authorities will not wait for our votes anymore! But I was so proud of Putin that he took Crimea! If our activists continue their actions, then I will immediately join them and do everything that depends on me!”
The head of the Navigator-M company, Ruslan Shankin, believes that the abolition of the transport tax will help cargo carriers “like a dead poultice.”
“Here’s an example with a cargo truck with a 320 hp engine - we pay 28 thousand rubles a year for it,” Shankin told Gazeta.Ru. “It turns out that with the abolition of the transport tax, 2.3 thousand will be removed from us. rubles per month. Given that with a mileage of 15 thousand km per month we will have to pay 40-45 thousand rubles. It turns out that
It sounds loud, but in reality there is no effect."
Meanwhile, the leadership of United Russia stated that the issue of the ratio of payments to the Platon system and the amount of transport tax should be carefully worked out at the legislative level so that the regions do not lose the opportunity to repair roads in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
“The transport tax goes to regional road funds, for the restoration of regional roads. Payments under the Platon system go for the repair of federal highways. Therefore, we need to find a middle ground, an optimal solution so that the regions are not left without funds for the restoration of regional roads in the event of the abolition of the transport tax ", - the press service of United Russia quoted Sergei Neverov, Vice-Speaker of the State Duma, Secretary of the Party's General Council, as saying on Thursday.
While politicians were discussing the feasibility of "Platon", singer and leader of the group "DDT" Yuri Shevchuk arrived on Thursday at the Khimki camp of protesting truck drivers. To support the drivers, he sang several songs to them and gave them his CDs.
Truck drivers protesting against the Platon toll system on federal roads today announced a strike throughout Russia. This was reported by the press secretary of truckers camped in Khimki near Moscow, Taisiya Nikitenko.
According to the activist, a strike of heavy truck drivers will take place from February 20 to March 1. Participants in the protest, which involves truckers from 43 regions, are calling not to take orders and not go on flights, Nikitenko noted.
“The goal of truckers is the abolition of Platon, the introduction of a moratorium on increasing housing and communal services tariffs for two years, the return of preferential travel for pensioners and the disabled, and the abolition of fees for major repairs,” she said in an interview with the radio station “Moscow Speaks.”
Representative of the Khimki truckers camp Andrey Bazhutin reported to the Dozhd TV channel that “transport will stop as much as possible in the regions - cars will be parked near the road, at shopping centers and in other places.” According to him, today drivers from the regions will come to Khimki to support their colleagues. “They will be in cars - it’s easier to get there. In addition, many are no longer working and they simply do not have money for fuel. I think this evening we will be able to assess the scale of the action.” He added that past campaigns were not always effective due to a lack of coordination between drivers. However, now the truckers are planning to unite.
In turn, a member of the coordination council of cargo carriers of the Yaroslavl region Sergey Sadikov confirmed participation in the strike in Khimki and his region. “Drivers of heavy trucks from the Yaroslavl region return from flights and remain in their home parking lots. It’s too early to say exactly how many people will take part,” Interfax quotes the activist.
Let us add that tonight a truckers’ camp appeared in St. Petersburg. According to various sources, from 8 to more than 10 trucks parked in the parking lot in front of the Mega Dybenko hypermarket. Truck drivers demand the abolition of the Platon system and also oppose increasing excise taxes on fuel, Ekho Moskvy reports. One of the protesters Mikhail Shipachev reported to Fontanka.ru that trucks from St. Petersburg and Veliky Novgorod are participating in the action. “We expect more machines to join us. The camp will remain in place until Plato is completely cancelled,” Shipachev said.
The day before, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich reported that a fundamental decision had been made to cancel the increase in fees for heavy trucks from March 1 within the framework of the Platon system. Thus, the tariff will remain at the level of 1 ruble 53 kopecks. It was assumed that from March 1 of this year the tariff would be increased to 3 rubles 6 kopecks per kilometer. The official noted that based on the results of nine months of this year, the situation will be monitored and a decision will be made in October on when to increase the fee.
Previously, the Russian government opposed the idea of State Duma deputies to abolish the transport tax. If this is done, the regions will lose 146 billion rubles, and there is nowhere to compensate them. Officials also abandoned the idea of abolishing the transport tax only for truck owners: instead, they offered cargo carriers a tax deduction equivalent to paid travel on federal highways.
Let us recall that since November 15 last year, a system of charging trucks with a maximum permissible weight of 12 tons to compensate for damage when driving on federal highways, called “Plato,” began operating in Russia. The introduction of "Plato" caused massive discontent among truckers. Protests took place in many regions of Russia.
The operator of Platon is the parity joint venture between Rostec and RT-Invest, RT-Invest Transport Systems, created in 2014. It implements the agreement with Rosavtodor. A party to the agreement is the son of Arkady Rotenberg, businessman Igor Rotenberg, under whose control the share of Rostec has passed. RT-Invest belongs to the structure of Andrey Shipelov. The concession agreement was signed for 13 years.
The authorities made concessions after the truckers' protests. In particular, amendments were adopted to significantly reduce fines for non-payment of the fee - up to 5 thousand rubles from the driver or, in the case of a violation recorded by surveillance cameras, from the owner of a heavy truck. For repeated violation, a fine of 10 thousand rubles is provided. If driving without payment is recorded by cameras several times a day, a fine will be charged only for the first violation. Previously, drivers of 12-ton vehicles were fined for failure to pay tolls: 450 thousand rubles for legal entities and 40 thousand rubles for individuals.
In January, it became known that the Russian Ministry of Economic Development was going to propose to the government to postpone until the fall the increase in tolls for heavy vehicles, scheduled for March 1.
Moscow, Svetlana Petrova
Moscow. Other news 02/20/16
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