Private owners of fixation systems will continue to make money from violators of traffic rules. According to the law, funds from the payment of fines are sent to regional budgets, but the owners of the cameras retain their percentage.
The State Duma of the Russian Federation considered the bill, which was introduced in July 2023 by deputies and senators from the LDPR faction. The initiators proposed legalizing amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which would introduce a special condition for issuing fines to drivers using traffic cameras: the devices used must be owned by the constituent entities of the federation or the federal authorities. In addition, it was assumed that the Russian government should determine the requirements for the “functional properties” of fixation complexes, as well as the procedure for their installation.
If approved, this initiative would ban road cameras that are used under concession agreements and also rented from private companies. According to the authors of the bill, the owners of such complexes for recording violations have an interest in recording as many violations as possible; the explanatory note notes that camera owners can use “various methods to increase profitability.”
As an example, there are cases where cameras are installed in areas where drivers often slightly exceed the speed limit, including due to improper traffic management. There are also cases when traffic violations by drivers are recorded in violation of procedures. It is often easier for car owners to pay an erroneous fine than to appeal it.
As Kommersant reports, the State Duma of the Russian Federation rejected a bill banning the use of private complexes for recording traffic violations in the Russian Federation. At the same time, Nikolai Brykin, a member of the State Construction Committee, noted that the initiative “has a positive assessment.” He also added that the proposal could be supported if amendments are made to the law “On Highways and Road Activities.”
In its response to the bill, the government indicated that the proposed amendments “not sufficiently substantiated.” It is also noted that the option that the deputies insist on does not exclude the possibility that the cameras can be used by “other” individuals or legal entities in the case of renting equipment from government agencies.
According to Grigory Shukhman, an expert on violation detection systems, regional authorities use the concession to reduce the cost of installing traffic cameras. He also believes that regional authorities are also interested in receiving funds from fines into their budgets, so who exactly owns the devices is not so important. The expert believes that “it is necessary to seek to exclude commercial interests in principle.”
It is worth recalling that at the beginning of the coming autumn, amendments to the law on highways will come into force, regulating the installation of complexes for recording traffic violations. According to them, cameras can only be placed in certain places: these include emergency areas, roads with a dedicated lane, road work sites with temporary restrictions, pedestrian crossings, etc. A rule will also come into force under which the camera control zone outside the city should begin no earlier than 150 – 300 meters after the “Photo and video recording” sign, and in a populated area – no earlier than 100 meters. The fine from the camera in case of violation of this rule can be canceled.
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