Finance:Platon (toll system)
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
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
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
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kuchma, Anna (28 July 2015). "New tolls on heavy trucks to raise funds for road repairs in Russia". http://rbth.com/business/2015/07/28/new_tolls_on_heavy_trucks_to_raise_funds_for_road_repairs_in_russia_48067.html. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "Kremlin claims there was no string pulling in Platon system operator choice" (in ru). TASS. http://tass.com/politics/841197. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "About The ETC System" (in en). http://platon.ru/en/about/. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "'Платон' собрал 22 млрд рублей, но все равно недобрал" (in ru). auto.vesti.ru. 23 March 2017. http://auto.vesti.ru/news/show/news_id/670695/. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ↑ "Data shows low Ukraine/Russia import volumes; increased delivery in bordering countries" (in en). https://trans.info/en/import-volumes-284866.
- ↑ Schindler, Norbert (2011). "Satellite Tolling: Look to the skies". Tolling Review, (H3B Media), Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 16-19.. http://www.gnss-consulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2011-Schindler-Look-to-the-Skies-THTR.pdf.
- ↑ "The latest protest Moscow is trying to ignore: Thousands of angry truckers". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-latest-protest-moscow-is-trying-to-ignore-thousands-of-angry-truckers/2017/04/21/13f87080-1a2d-11e7-8598-9a99da559f9e_story.html. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ "Russian truckers drive a hard bargain". 9 December 2015. http://www.politico.eu/article/russian-truckers-hard-bargain-putin-transportation-tax-roads/. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ↑ Bakin, Ignat (18 November 2020). "«Дорожный оброк» Системе Платон 5 лет. Подводим итоги: друзья Путина обогатились, дальнобойщики обнищали" (in ru). znak.com. https://www.znak.com/2020-11-18/lyudi_iz_okruzheniya_putina_poluchili_bolee_50_mlrd_ot_sistemy_platon_za_pyat_let_dalnoboychiki_v_be.
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