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Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
July 5 2013
Creeping on highways
5 July 2013 - 8:41am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The legal robbery on `transit' Armenian roads shifted to a new phase.
Any driver, first of all, a foreigner, who gets on the road between
Yerevan and Artashat heading to Iran can feel it.
Recently this 30-km part of the four-lane road appeared to be dotted
with speed limit signs - 50 km per hour. The previous top speed limit
was 90 km/h. Drivers who drive at least at 52 km/h are stopped and
fined by the traffic police, who are hidden on the oncoming lane. When
drivers try to appeal to common sense, policemen point at signs. One
of policemen told Vestnik Kavkaza that they don't like doing what they
have to do, but nothing can be done about it - it's their job. Traffic
policemen understand that limitation of top speed to 50 km/h on an
international road feels like robbery, but they cannot do anything -
it is `the order from the top.'
It should be noted that speed was limited `due to roadworks.' In
reality there are no roadworks on any part of the highway. Obviously
placing signs was made for one reason only - to rob law-abiding
citizens `legally.'
Vestnik Kavkaza tried to reach for the head of the Department of Roads
of Armenia under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Genrik
Kochunyan, but failed. The official doesn't pick up the phone,
probably he is very busy, developing new plans for reducing speed
limits on Armenian roads. We also didn't receive sensible explanations
on the issue from the Head Department of the Traffic Police.
Considering the logic of placing road signs on the highway
`Yerevan-Yeraskh', it seems the Department of Roads of Armenia creates
extra `work' for the Traffic Police. According to some information the
TP of Armenia plans to gain 6.7 billion drams (about $24 million) from
punishments for offences in 2013, this prediction gets additional
grounds. According to the same logic, they are enthusiastically
placing new radio detectors in Armenia. For example, on the highway
`Yerevan-Sevan-Idzhevan' the speed limit is 90 km/h, if you drive from
Yerevan to Sevan; while driving from Sevan to Yerevan, you will get
the speed limit in 70 km/h. Why should cars creep on Armenian
international roads? There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such
extortionate limits in Armenia.
However, rumors in Armenia explain much more than official sources.
According to unofficial reports, the Armenian company Security Dream
which suddenly appeared in 2011, is implementing the system of
electronic fines together with the Swedish company Sensys Traffic AB.
The company actually belongs to the brother of the president - Sashik
Sarkisyan. The system of electronic fines (it costs 10 million euro)
was implemented in Armenia in early 2012. The investor will get 70% of
each fine and after return of investments - 50%. The rest will get
into the state budget. By 2017 200 radar detectors will be placed in
Armenia.
The only transit communication with Armenia is through the territory
of Georgia and Iran. The Armenian authorities permanently declare
improvement of transit attractiveness of the country, but the
conditions for Iranian and Georgian cars driving through Armenia are
becoming worse and worse. And the 50 km/h speed limit on an
international highway is another step toward non-attractiveness of
Armenia.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/society/42273.html
July 5 2013
Creeping on highways
5 July 2013 - 8:41am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The legal robbery on `transit' Armenian roads shifted to a new phase.
Any driver, first of all, a foreigner, who gets on the road between
Yerevan and Artashat heading to Iran can feel it.
Recently this 30-km part of the four-lane road appeared to be dotted
with speed limit signs - 50 km per hour. The previous top speed limit
was 90 km/h. Drivers who drive at least at 52 km/h are stopped and
fined by the traffic police, who are hidden on the oncoming lane. When
drivers try to appeal to common sense, policemen point at signs. One
of policemen told Vestnik Kavkaza that they don't like doing what they
have to do, but nothing can be done about it - it's their job. Traffic
policemen understand that limitation of top speed to 50 km/h on an
international road feels like robbery, but they cannot do anything -
it is `the order from the top.'
It should be noted that speed was limited `due to roadworks.' In
reality there are no roadworks on any part of the highway. Obviously
placing signs was made for one reason only - to rob law-abiding
citizens `legally.'
Vestnik Kavkaza tried to reach for the head of the Department of Roads
of Armenia under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Genrik
Kochunyan, but failed. The official doesn't pick up the phone,
probably he is very busy, developing new plans for reducing speed
limits on Armenian roads. We also didn't receive sensible explanations
on the issue from the Head Department of the Traffic Police.
Considering the logic of placing road signs on the highway
`Yerevan-Yeraskh', it seems the Department of Roads of Armenia creates
extra `work' for the Traffic Police. According to some information the
TP of Armenia plans to gain 6.7 billion drams (about $24 million) from
punishments for offences in 2013, this prediction gets additional
grounds. According to the same logic, they are enthusiastically
placing new radio detectors in Armenia. For example, on the highway
`Yerevan-Sevan-Idzhevan' the speed limit is 90 km/h, if you drive from
Yerevan to Sevan; while driving from Sevan to Yerevan, you will get
the speed limit in 70 km/h. Why should cars creep on Armenian
international roads? There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such
extortionate limits in Armenia.
However, rumors in Armenia explain much more than official sources.
According to unofficial reports, the Armenian company Security Dream
which suddenly appeared in 2011, is implementing the system of
electronic fines together with the Swedish company Sensys Traffic AB.
The company actually belongs to the brother of the president - Sashik
Sarkisyan. The system of electronic fines (it costs 10 million euro)
was implemented in Armenia in early 2012. The investor will get 70% of
each fine and after return of investments - 50%. The rest will get
into the state budget. By 2017 200 radar detectors will be placed in
Armenia.
The only transit communication with Armenia is through the territory
of Georgia and Iran. The Armenian authorities permanently declare
improvement of transit attractiveness of the country, but the
conditions for Iranian and Georgian cars driving through Armenia are
becoming worse and worse. And the 50 km/h speed limit on an
international highway is another step toward non-attractiveness of
Armenia.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/society/42273.html