Vladimir Putin chaired a State Council meeting on the development of the national motorway system and ensuring the safety of road traffic at the Kremlin’s St George Hall, presidential web page reported.
According to the President, “Unfortunately, we still do not have very many high-quality roads.”
As he noted, “Price-setting procedure remains a problem, which can influence the true cost of road maintenance. Subcontractors often take part in bidding where prices of bitumen, asphalt, asphalt concrete, gravel and other materials are deliberately lowered, so companies often turn down such contracts or do as they please, haphazardly, which affects the quality and schedule of road construction.”
“Road safety, in many respects, depends on the quality of the roads and the equipment, including lighting. Now, this is a serious problem. We have nothing but darkness on almost all the roads outside major cities,” Putin admitted.
Speaking about CCTV cameras, he stressed that “The purpose of their installation is to reduce the accident and injury rate and save people’s life. These cameras, especially on accident-prone road sections, should not be concealed and hidden. By doing this, you directly twist the purpose of all these measures: instead of making drivers more disciplined, you use the cameras just to fine them.”