Service plan

Garage craftsmen will find legal competitors

Moscow authorities seem to be trying to find a new stable source of income, forcing numerous garage workshops to either close or work, including for the city treasury. At yesterday's meeting of the capital's government, the head of the department of transport and communications of the mayor's office, Leonid Lipsits, proposed to oppose small but legal car repair shops to underground car mechanics by centrally locating them in all parking lots of the Moscow City Motorists Union (MGAU). Naturally, such a proposal was presented as concern for the huge army of metropolitan drivers who are tormented in search of decent service for their cars. Such an expansion of the service network, which, moreover, is de facto already partially existing (almost every garage cooperative employs private craftsmen who have not yet been registered by the tax authorities), does not require any special expenses from the city government, but officials can safely take credit for it. As was done when summing up the results of the city program for the development of technical service of vehicles for 2001-2005.

The head of the transport department, who reported yesterday, proudly reported that over five years, about one and a half thousand car service stations were built and reconstructed in the city with money from both domestic and foreign investors. Mr. Lipsitz modestly did not specify what role the city authorities played in this process, but did not fail to note that the implementation of the program made it possible, for example, to create more than 15 thousand additional jobs in Moscow. Having completed the list of figures that only inspired optimism, the official suggested that the program be considered completed. And he immediately asked to allocate money for the development of a new concept for the development of technical services in the city until 2010. The concept will also include the idea of ​​locating car services in MGSA parking lots. True, officials first intend to thoroughly consider this idea at meetings of a special body - the coordinating council. And this will happen, according to Mr. Lipsitz’s calculations, no earlier than the second quarter of 2007.

Prefect of the Southern District Pyotr Biryukov, having assessed the vigorous activity of the transport department in his speech, nevertheless complained that due to the rapid growth of the capital's vehicle fleet, owners of imported cars still have to sign up for dealer service two to three months in advance. The situation with the maintenance of domestic cars is no better. All this, according to Mr. Biryukov, leads to the emergence of a huge number of garage car services that provide low-quality services and do not pay taxes.

Having leafed through the draft resolution and not finding any specific proposals in it, Yuri Luzhkov listened to the speakers with ever-increasing interest. When the turn came to the owners of car service centers, who unanimously began to praise Mr. Lipsitz’s proposal, the mayor could not stand it. “Tell me, do you really think that the resolution in its current form meets its purpose?” - asked the mayor in a voice that did not bode well. The entrepreneurs nodded in unison, after which the mayor could only shrug his shoulders - they say, if such a resolution suits the entrepreneurs, then even more so does he.

However, in his final speech, Mr. Luzhkov still firmly outlined the tasks that he would like to find solutions to in the new concept. First of all, the mayor demanded that all the needs of motorists be met without forcing them to stand in queues. To do this, according to the mayor, it is necessary to create conditions for attracting small businesses, including the allocation of land and premises for car services on preferential terms. To speed up the process of uniform placement of service points throughout the city, Yuri Luzhkov ordered the development of a standard car service project - similar to a fire station or traffic police post, and also asked the Association of Technical Service Enterprises to make proposals to reduce bureaucratic procedures. In conclusion, the mayor emphasized that the criticism he expressed did not apply to the head of the transport department. “Lipsitz himself is interested in solving this problem as quickly as possible,” said the mayor, once again mentioning bureaucratic obstacles and extortions from officials.

Alexander GUDKOV