ADMINISTRATIVE FINES FOR VIOLATION OF TRAFFIC RULES MADE STRICTER

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The bill on making additions and amendments to the RA Code of Administrative Infringements took effect on March 24. The meeting held at the RA Police on March 30 was dedicated to discussion of amendments and additions to administrative fines for violation of traffic rules. The speakers presented in detail the fines to be imposed for certian types of violation. Particularly, a fine of 20 thousand drams (about 55 dollars) is envisaged in case of violation that results in a road accident. Fines of 50 or 75 thousand drams are envisaged for driving a vehicle in drunken state, while in case of repeated violation, the driver may be deprived of the driving license for a year. A fine of 20 thousand drams is envisaged for driving a vehicle without a driving license, and if the driver is already deprived of the licence, the fine will make 300 thousand drams. If the driver does not stop the vehicle in case of forbidding signal of the traffic-light, a fine of 10 thousand drams is envisaged, if the same violation is committed within a year, the fine makes 30 thousand drams, and in case of committing this violation for a third time, the driver is deprived of his/her driving license for 6 months.

A fine of 20 thousand drams is envisaged for violation of pedestrian crossing rules, and a fine of 5 thousand drams is imposed in case of driving a vehicle without fastening the safety belt. A fine of 200 thousand drams is envisaged for not obeying the policeman's order to stop the vehicle, a fine of 300 thousand drams - in case of committing the same violation within a year by a person without a driving license; if the same violation is committed by a person with a driving license, the driver is deprived of the license for 6 months.

In case of not paying the fine within 60 days, its amount is increased fivefold, in case of refusal to pay the fine, it is confiscated by a court decision. In response to questions of reporters, Head of the Analytical Department of the RA Traffic Police Hayk Sargsian said that cameras fixing violations of traffic rules have not been installed yet. Responding to the question why 10 cars, which have parked near the pedestrian crossing at the administrative building of the police, are not punished for this violation, he said: "We have made the rules of the Code stricter for efficient fight against violations.

There will be time when these violations will be eliminated, in any case we want it to be so."