Platon (Russian: Платон) is an electronic toll collection system established in Russia in November 2015. The toll is collected from trucks over 12 tonnes, with the proceedings going to a federal fund for road maintenance.[1] A subsidiary of the state-owned Rostec corporation holds a 50% stake in the collection system operator, with the Putin-associated Rotenberg oligarchs owning the other half.[2]
The objective of the Platon system is to offset the damage caused by heavy trucks to the country's major highways.[1] As of April 2017, road users who drive vehicles included in the scheme are required to pay a levy of 1.90 rubles ($0.03 in 2015) per kilometer.[3] Rosavtodor, the Russian federal agency for road transport, asserts that 58% of the damage to roads is caused by heavy trucks.[1] Revenues from the system amounted to 22 billion rubles in 2016.[4] As of November 2018, the cumulative revenue was €789 million.[5]
History edit
Originally scheduled for launch in 2013, the first detailed technical study for the implementation of the nationwide truck tolling system envisioned the construction of microwave-based sensor gantries on all road segments of all major highways in Russia, similar to the system implemented in Austria in 2004.[6] Once it was decided to implement the system using GNSS road pricing rather than an infrastructure-based solution, the tolled road network applied to all National Roads for a total length of 50,000 km – making it the largest single tolling system in the world.
Controversy edit
The implementation of the system sparked protest among truck drivers across Russia, especially in the Dagestan region.[7] Most truckers in Russia own and operate their vehicles as independent contractors, and many fear the levy will render their businesses unprofitable.[8] According to independent Russian media, the operation of the Platon system is considered to be unfair and ineffective, with reports that up to 70% of the trucks avoid paying the distance-based fees.[9]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c Kuchma, Anna (28 July 2015). "New tolls on heavy trucks to raise funds for road repairs in Russia". Russia Beyond The Headlines. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Kremlin claims there was no string pulling in Platon system operator choice". TASS (in Russian). Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "About The ETC System". Platon. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "'Платон' собрал 22 млрд рублей, но все равно недобрал" ["Platon" collected 22 billion rubles, but still missed out]. auto.vesti.ru (in Russian). 23 March 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Data shows low Ukraine/Russia import volumes; increased delivery in bordering countries". Trans.INFO. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
- ^ Schindler, Norbert (2011). "Satellite Tolling: Look to the skies" (PDF). Tolling Review, (H3B Media), Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 16-19.
- ^ "The latest protest Moscow is trying to ignore: Thousands of angry truckers". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Russian truckers drive a hard bargain". Politico. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ Bakin, Ignat (18 November 2020). "«Дорожный оброк» Системе Платон 5 лет. Подводим итоги: друзья Путина обогатились, дальнобойщики обнищали" [The Platon system is 5 years old. In sum: Putin's friends got rich, truckers became impoverished]. znak.com (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 November 2021.