Guests of expensive capitals

Draft law to increase fines for illegal parking introduces differentiated punishment on a regional basis

On Friday, the State Duma adopted in the second reading amendments to increase fines for violating the rules of stopping or parking in unauthorized places. 389 deputies, most of them United Russia members, voted in favor. The amendments provide for an increase...

On Friday, the State Duma adopted in the second reading amendments to increase fines for violating the rules of stopping or parking in unauthorized places. 389 deputies, most of them United Russia members, voted in favor.

The amendments provide for an increase in fines for parking in the wrong place in Moscow and St. Petersburg - up to 3-5 thousand rubles. In other regions, fines will increase to 1.5 thousand rubles. The legislative changes will come into effect in 2012.

As Sergei Kanaev, leader of the Moscow branch of the Federation of Russian Car Owners (FAR), told Novaya Gazeta, "the adoption of these amendments is contrary to the Constitution, according to which everyone is equal before the law."

“The deputies say that the salaries of Muscovites are much higher, but they do not say that the residents of Kaluga, Orel, Kazan come to Moscow in the same way,” explains Kanaev.

The FAR has already held a number of pickets against this innovation and proposed deputies to raise fines for violating the rules of the road by official vehicles of high-ranking officials and deputies.