State Duma deputies attempt to make drivers remove winkers under the threat of criminal liability.
Photo: Ilya Pitalev
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Bureaucrats Told not to Wink
State Duma’s deputies vowed December 13, 2005 to cut down by law the number of car special winkers and numbers. The purpose is to attain the 2.5-fold reduction and call to account for unauthorized installation. But both the State Duma and the Federation Council lashed out at proposed bill yesterday.
State Duma’s deputies Alexander Lebedev and Andrey Samoshin announced Tuesday they had masterminded a bill on special signals and state registration signs installed on transport vehicles, which implementation will trim the number of persons, who may have them from more than 500 to 200.
But even before the actual consideration of the bill by legislature, some deputies pointed to the obvious shortcomings. “This bill is a half-measure,” said deputy Viktor Pokhmelkin, who heads the Russia’s Automobilists Movement. Pokhmelkin called for not limiting but rather not providing winkers and special numbers to bureaucrats. “The operating services alone, including police, firemen, emergency ambulances and the like, need special signals,” Pokhmelkin said. The Federation Council appeared no less critical, saying the deputies had rewritten the government’s ruling with no changes introduced in substance.
As to the bill’s masterminds, today’s purpose is to submit it to the State Duma. “The amendments could be added afterwards.” “We intend to amend the RF Criminal Code setting forth criminal liability for illegal installation and application of special signals and numbers,” Lebedev said.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 14, 2005
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