Russian Motorists Call for Road Police Reform

VLADIVOSTOK. March 17. VOSTOK-MEDIA – The growing discontent with road police officers among Russian motorists may escalate into a country-wide protest action.

The Federation of Russian Car Owners (also known as FAR) is preparing to hold the protest rally on March 20. Members of the federation call for reforming State Road Safety Inspectorate. The Moscow branch of FAR went even further, demanding resignation of the Head of Moscow City Road Safety Inspectorate Sergei Kazantsev due to the recent scandal involving the police using human shield to stop a car at Moscow Ring Road and the controversial investigation of LUKoil executive car accident.

The Federation of Russian Car Owners is inviting all motorists to join the protest rally to put pressure on the government, Rb.ru daily wrote. “The motorists call for the reformation of State Road Safety Inspectorate,” said Sergei Kanayev, head of the Moscow branch of FAR. In Moscow alone, more than 3,000 motorists are expected to take part in the protest action, which will be held at Taras Shevchenko Quay. After the meeting the motorists will embark on a car rally across Moscow.

“There has been an increasing number of complaints lately from those motorists who drive cars with xenon, those whom the police treated as human shields, those whose garages were destroyed, etc.,” said Sergei Kanayev. “People feel they can no longer be silent, that they must take steps lest the lawlessness of authorities grow exponentially.”

In Vladivostok the protest rally will be held on March 20 at 1:00 a.m. at the Central Square.