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Right-hand-drive vehicles remain on Russian market

Right-hand-drive vehicles will remain on the Russian market, said First Deputy Chairman of the Russian government Igor Shuvalov

VLADIVOSTOK, October 25 (Itar-Tass) — Right-hand-drive vehicles will remain on the Russian market, said First Deputy Chairman of the Russian government Igor Shuvalov, talking to the population of the Russian Maritime territory on Tuesday.

"Our partners in the Customs Union suggested taking right-hand- drive vehicles out of the scope of technical control on the whole territory of the Customs Union, including Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, "Shuvalov admitted. "But we realize that such measure would be very painful to the Far East," Shuvalov said.

"I promise that all those who drive right-hand-drive cars will continue to drive such cars if they find it convenient. Don’t worry and tell others to stay calm. We will not let right-hand-drive cars be squeezed out from the market," Shuvalov assured.

Right-hand-drive cars brought from Japan account for 90 percent of the entire car park in the Russian Far East. Despite a high Customs tax there is a big demand for such cars among the local population because such cars are cheap and their quality is high. The recent reports that right-hand-drive vehicles might possibly be banned aroused serious anxiety among drivers.