State license plates were initially introduced to merely indicate Russian officials on the road.
Photo: Grigory Tambulov
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Russia Bans Privileged License Plates for Officials
Russia’s Duma banned special state license plates for deputies and senators’ cars in a unanimous vote on Friday. The parliamentarians are, however, determined to keep the right to drive violating road laws even after losing the plates privilege.
The State Duma passed Friday the first reading of amendments to the law on the status of Federation Council and State Duma members, barring them from using state license plates for their vehicles. State plates were initially conceived to merely show Russian officials on the road. In 1997, however, a special police order came into force, requesting traffic police to “facilitate driving for vehicles with special state license plates”. Cars with these plates were not allowed to be stopped or searched.
Russia has launched a campaign to strip officials of special number plates after a major car accident in southern Russia this fall where 50 cars crashed, killing 30 people.
Russian President has signed a law to ban using special license plates. Deputies and senators will lose these plates before the end of the year, while ministers and other high-ranking officials will be permitted to use them till February.
However, deputies and high-placed officials are likely to keep their privileges on the road. A number of Russian ministries and other bodies have already issued ordinary license plates with a special series number for the police to see who is driving. Russia’s police, for one, uses the series of KR-177RUS and the Moscow Duma uses AMM-99RUS.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 11, 2006
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