‘We expect the ban to work without registration from 1 April will enhance the creditibility of the market’

Have truckers believed in Platon?

From the second half of March, there has been an upsurge of registration in the system: earlier there was 2 500 registrations per day on average, now it is 7 500. It was said by the First Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Evgeny Ditrich. Thus, in Russia in the system Platon there have been registered 230 000 carriers, owning more than 680 000 of 12-tonne vehicles. According to its data, it is 95% of large shippers and more than a half of all heavy trucks in Russia. The users of the system from 15 November, i.e. since its launch, have issued more than 6 million route maps for the trip, they were issued more than 300 000 onboard devices.

'Today, we don't have the licensing of the market, and it is quite important to transfer to the fair principle when the maintenance of roads is paid by those who use them in the most intense degree. In prospect, the Platon data will help effectively and purposefully to allocate funds for the development, expansion and additional renovation of the busiest routes. We will understand where are the main freight routes of heavy vehicles,' said the official. Thus, according to him, now the shippers have become more careful in the formation of the routes. The official believes that those are remained to register who worked 'in black', did not pay taxes, did not control the vehicle requirements. 'We expect the ban to work without registration from 1 April will enhance the credibility of the market before the senders and will give the opportunity to work with people who really complies with all the requirements of the law,' he said.

The journalists were informed that from the second half of March there has been an upsurge of registration in the Platon system

Later, in the conversation with Realnoe Vremya, he expressed confidence that Platon will not affect the freight market and their prices. 'We do not expectthe price growth associated with the reduction in freight, even during the excitement at the time when the system was launched, and at the time of preparation for New Year holidays. Goods were being transported, we don't see any shortage,' he said. However, the press conference reports state that, given the existing preferential tariff, Platon increases the cost of transport by 5% and the full tariff – 10%. 'However, in the cost of food commodities the cost of transportation is from 4% to 10%. That is, the tariff will not affect the cost and it is less than 1%,' convinced the organizers.

Concessions for business in exchange for obedience

The introduction of Platon caused big protests in recent times. Truckers from all over the country went on strikes, rallies and even tried to block the Moscow Ring Road. Now the government, as Ditrich said, 'made concessions' to business: from 15 April it will be possible to pay the toll after the trip, not to pay money beforehand as it works now, penalties have been reduced to 5 000 rubles. Besides, they consider the possibility to deduct payments for Platon from the transport tax, as well as the deferral of annual indexation. However, also from that moment the passage through federal highways without being registered in the system Platon or one-time trips will be impossible. Moreover, all the privileges will be only for those carriers who would have worked in the system for at least 2 months, have no late payments and have all the necessary equipment, said Deputy Minister of Transport. But not all unregistered in the system carriers are outside the law: registration is not required for those who, in principle, does not drive on federal roads, municipal machines, mining trucks, military vehicles and special vehicles.

'There are those who take advantage of the moment to exacerbate the situation, but today's meeting showed that those who faithfully works and collaborates with government, have nothing to fear,' he concluded. It is talked about the meeting, which was held in the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tatarstan with the participation of Tatarstan carriers. With the introduction of Platon, however, the work of truckers will be more transparent for the state. So, as Ditrich told, they are holding negotiations on the data exchange with the revenue service that will enable it to see whether they pay taxes correctly.

The Republic expects the receipts from Platon: the construction draft of a new bridge in the Mamadysh district of the settlement Sokolki claim to the funding, told Safin

Since November, revenue to the Road Fund from Platon, according to Ditrich, was more than 5.7 billion rubles. He emphasized that for the present time there is a reduced rate — 1.5 rubles per 1 km of passage on federal highways. When the decision will be made that the grace period is over and the market is ready, it will grow twofold, i.e. up to 3 rubles. From 2018, it is expected a new increase. At the same time, as the official noted, 95% of tolls received by operator returns to the economy of the country. As the government planned it, it will be invested in the regional road projects. The materials prepared by the system operator of PLC RT-Invest Transportnye Sistemy, state that, for example, the construction of bridges in Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk oblast and Perm Krai, the construction of a bypass of Khabarovsk and Izhevsk, the regional roads in the Komi Republic, Bashkortostan, etc. All these projects will be implemented in the format of public-private partnership, now, according to Ditrich, they are 'being packaged' and will be ready next year. It is curious that projects beyond the Urals on the map, provided by PLC RT-Invest Transportnye Sistemy, there is only bypass of Khabarovsk. It is assumed that revenues from Platon to the Road Fund will be 40 billion rubles per annum.

Platon beholds to the Association of hailers for the success in Tatarstan

As for Tatarstan, according to the Minister of Transport and Road management of RT Lenar Safin, this year revenues from the federal budget will be mainly in the form of compensation of benefits for the transportation tax. However, the Republic expects the receipts from Platon: the construction draft of a new bridge in the Mamadysh district of the settlement Sokolki claim to the funding. 'We're starting to design. This is probably one of those projects that, if the system will work the way we assume, can be financed as PPP [public–private partnership – editor's note]. We are preparing this project, have passed from the justification of investment, are ready to consider different models. The design will take a year or a year and a half,' he told.

In Tatarstan 5134 carriers are registered, the total fleet of which is more than 24 000 vehicles. It is more than 90% of carriers and, according to Director General of RT-Invest Transportnye Sistemy of Aleksander Sovetnikov, it is one of the highest rates in the whole country. As Safin explained, the active work of the Association of carriers of Tatarstan contributes to it, the Association includes the vast majority of transport companies. At the same time, in Tatarstan Platon for 45 months of it work collected 287 million rubles, that is almost 1 / 20th of the national fees.

In Tatarstan there are 5134 registered carriers, according to Aleksandr Sovetnikov it is one of the highest figures in the country

A the moment the system Platon controls 100 mobile complexes (two of them are in Tatarstan), but this year, as the Deputy head of Rosavtodor Dmitry Pronchatov promised, all over Russia over 170 stationary 'frames' will appear, including Tatarstan. In Russia they will be more than 480, and RT-Invest Transportnye Sistemy will build them at their expense. 'The subject of our meeting also was the time, date, and expandability of the control of frames in the Republic of Tatarstan, including the possibility of combining these control systems with the control system for movement of large-sized and heavy transport schemes that carry cargoes more than 12 tonnes,' said Ditrich.