Truck drivers of Kabardino-Balkaria complain of pressure from police

In the Prokhladnensky District, the police put pressure on truck drivers on strike. Policemen stop the truck drivers who want to join the protest. This was reported by protesters. The police state that they do not create obstacles for the protest.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 27, Russian truck drivers resumed protests against the "Platon" system introduced to collect fees from drivers of heavy trucks for travelling on federal roads. On April 4, 25 truck drivers started a protest action in the Prokhladnensky District of Kabardino-Balkaria, and on the same day, eight of them were detained.

Today, the number of protesters has also amounted to 25 people, and their heavy vehicles stay at the place of the protest action. The protest has been led by the public organization "Protection of Drivers" from the town of Prokhladny.

Truck drivers believe that the money collected from them through the "Platon" system goes not to the budget, but to the owners of the "RT-INVEST", while the country has not enough funds to increase pensions and teachers' salaries.

According to protestor Oleg Dubnets, the federal TV channels keep silence about the truck drivers' protests, and the authorities themselves are hindering the very protest action.

In the Prokhladnensky District, the truck drivers on protest coordinate their actions with colleagues from Dagestan and North Ossetia, reports truck driver Adalbi Mataev. According to him, he is ready to strike until the authorities listen to the demands of the truck drivers on protest.

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