The National Automobile Union (NAS) has appealed to the Government of the Russian Federation with a proposal to return to the State Traffic Inspectorate the authority to issue all fines for traffic violations. This was reported by "Izvestia" with reference to the organization's appeal.
The initiative was prompted by cases where motorists were fined for stopping in an unauthorized place while waiting in line at gas stations. According to NAS, in a number of regions, such decisions are issued not by State Traffic Inspectorate units, but by regional structures, which makes it more difficult for drivers to get them canceled.
As Anton Shaparin, Vice-President of NAS, explained, stopping or parking in a prohibited place can indeed create obstacles for other road users. However, in the cases under consideration, according to him, drivers were forced to stop due to the prevailing situation, which the organization considers a state of extreme necessity.
In the appeal sent to the government, NAS indicates that some authorities authorized to issue such fines are not prepared to take into account the circumstances under which the violations were committed and refuse to cancel decisions even in the presence of objective reasons.
According to Anton Shaparin, transferring the authority to issue all administrative materials for traffic violations to the State Traffic Inspectorate will ensure a uniform practice of applying legislation throughout Russia, increase control over traffic organization, and reduce the number of disputed situations when bringing drivers to justice.