Road Rage: Drivers still unhappy with fines and cameras

Road Rage: Drivers still unhappy with fines and cameras

SOCIETY | 05.09.14 | 16:04

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Despite lowered fines, drivers in Armenia remain outraged at the
system imposed for traffic and parking violations.

Over the past couple years, a system of traffic speed cameras and paid
parking space was established against which some continue to rebel,
saying that the cameras are unreliable and the fines too high. A
social initiative “Out of Our Pockets” was formed to fight what it
sees as an injustice.

As a result of complaints in June the Parliament accepted a bill about
making changes to the code of Administrative offences, according to
which the set amount paid for breaking traffic rules, was greatly
lowered.

With the initiation of Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, Yerevan City
Council accepted the bill allowing drivers to use the paid parking
lots for 15 miutes free-of-charge, instead of five, and drivers with
disabilities or car owners transporting them are freed from any fines
and penalties paid for parking in Yerevan.

However, Out of our Pockets campaign member Arsen Petrosyan on Friday
told reporters that such compromise is not satisfying and the fight
goes on.

“The most important of our demands remains the amnesty of fines and
penalties, we demand that before the July 26th new regulation gains
force the fines and penalties should get amnesty,” Petrosyan said.

Out of our Pockets campain member Vardan Hakobyan said that the police
try to show that the mechanisms they run are for the good of safe
traffic, however, as a result of applying them compared to last year
accidents increased by 221 cases, 346 more people were injured and
only the number of fatalities decreased by 20.

“If the number of injured increased and the dead – decreased, it is
not about the cameras, rather due to mandatorily fastening seatbelts,
which is a result of police patroling. These numbers show that a
policeman patroling, as a containment mechanism, has a more important
role than speed devices, which are mere mechanisms of stealing money
from our pockets,” Hakobyan said adding that their next rally will
take place on September 7, Sunday when they move from Avan to Sevan.

From: A. Papazian