13:55, 5 December 2015

State Duma cuts fines for evasion of taxes under "Platon" system

The trucks of the protesting drivers in Dagestan. November 24, 2015. Photo by Murad Muradov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The fine for failure to pay the toll for using federal highways by heavy-duty trucks has been set as 5000 roubles for drivers and truck owners; a repeated violation will entail a fine of 10,000 roubles. This decision was made by the Russian State Duma at the background of mass truckers' protests.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the "Platon" system was put into effect on November 15. It provides for charging a fare from heavy-duty trucks on federal highways, in compensation of the damage caused by trucks to highways. The initially adopted law prescribed a fine of 5000 roubles to be levied only from drivers, while truck owners had to pay 40,000 roubles, and legal entities – 450,000 roubles.

Truckers of several regions of Russia, including Krasnodar Territory, Dagestan, and Volgograd and Rostov Regions insist on complete abolition of the "Platon" system. Some drivers have transferred their protest actions from their regions closer to Moscow. Truckers emphasize that with the introduction of the "Platon" system the revenues of truck owners have dropped essentially, which provokes a jump in food prices at stores.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.