Posted 6 мая 2009,, 01:20

Published 6 мая 2009,, 01:20

Modified 17 сентября 2022,, 14:21

Updated 17 сентября 2022,, 14:21

Government Bans Import of Right-Hand-Drive Motor-Vehicles

6 мая 2009, 01:20
The prohibition may cause social tension

MOSCOW. May 6. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Import of right-hand-drive foreign cars may be soon prohibited. The ban is stipulated in new technical regulations ‘On Safety of Transportation’. The document has been already worked out and soon will be considered by the State Duma. Though, the prohibition will not reach the foreign cars which are already being exploited in Russia.
There are 17 regulatory requirements in the new technical regulations. The majority of these requirements are the same as in United Nations Economical Commission for Europe, which Russia joined in 2006. But there are also some unique requirements that take into account factors specific to Russia. First of all it is an actual ban on import of right-hand-drive cars. From the road safety perspective, the prohibition is surely reasonable.
It is crucially important that the ban will not reach those right-hand-drive motor-vehicles, which are already at the territory of the Russian Federation. And yet, residents of the Russian Far East, who live mainly off the importing of used Japanese vehicles, may strongly disagree with the prohibition. In this case social tension is inevitable. “That means that the ban should be compensated somehow.” – believes Oleg Osipov, managing editor of ‘Autoizvestia’. –“Say, we avoid the raising of import tax, make loans available, i.e. there are many means to reduce social tension.”
Left-hand-drive cars import merchants will suffer some difficulties too. They will have to undergo mandatory check relating to meeting the safety requirements of the new technical regulations.

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