Volgograd communists support truckers' demands
At their rally dedicated to the anniversary of the start of Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad during WW II, communists demanded to cancel the "Platon" system.
Truck drivers from a number of Russian regions are protesting against the system introduced on November 15 for collection of tolls from trucks for the use of roads of federal significance. Carriers treat the tolls as too high and point to the lack of infrastructure for the control over the system "Platon", introduced for collection of tolls.
The communists' action took place at the Eternal Flame in Volgograd. According to organizers, it was attended by 150 people, including communists who came from Moscow and Sevastopol, Astrakhan and Rostov Regions, Krasnodar Territory, Republic of Adygea, Kalmykia and Dagestan.
At the rally, communists made a statement against the introduction of the "Platon" payment system. "In the crisis conditions, the earnings of truckers are barely enough to feed their families; while the introduced new tax on heavy-duty vehicles will lead to even higher prices for foodstuffs, goods and services," says the statement of the rally. "The 'Platon' system, like it already happened with the collections on overhaul of residential houses and other levies, will hit ordinary citizens, including small and medium businesses."
Communists demanded to abolish the "Platon", establish an independent trade union of truckers at the federal and regional levels, compensate for moral harm and material losses for vehicles' downtime caused by introduction of the "Platon", and bring its designers to responsibility.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.