Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law according to which new state duties for car owners will come into force as early as September, and previously existing duties will be increased. The relevant document has been posted on the website of official publication of legal acts.
Obtaining a driver’s license will now cost between ₽4,000 and ₽6,000, a plastic CTU (certificate of transport unit) will cost ₽4,500, and new license plates will cost ₽3,000. Other procedures, including the registration of changes to the vehicle’s design, will also become more expensive.
In addition to the obvious disadvantage of higher fees, motorists will face several other challenges, according to Alexey Ivanov, the owner of the Alliance Traks commercial vehicle dealership chain.
«First of all, there is still a month before the new regulations come into force. Russians can hurry up and apply for documents at the old, lower prices. As a rule, you can’t do without a personal visit to the local traffic police department or the MFC. The rush is always fraught with queues,» the expert emphasizes.
Secondly, there are purely bureaucratic difficulties and delays in the process. This is a direct consequence of the queues. Additionally, due to the introduction of new forms, there is a high risk of errors, delays in processing, and a shortage of forms. There may also be a temporary shortage of plastic CTUs during a large one-time influx of applicants.
Thirdly, the requirements for technical inspections will be tightened, and there will be a fee for entering the results into the system. This will also lead to a surge in demand for the service in August.
Fourthly, the new regulations will make it difficult for Russians to understand the requirements, let alone for migrants who work as taxi drivers and need to obtain documents. This could result in longer processing times, according to Alexey Ivanov.