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Putin approves lower fines for non-payment of highway toll for heavy-duty trucks

The fines have been lowered from $6,400 to $70 for first-time failure to pay, after that - form $14,000 to $140

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

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MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. President Putin's resolution to the conflict between heavy-duty truckers and federal authorities on tolls for using federal highways is lower fines for failure to pay, while the system named Platon remains.

Earlier fines were set at $6,400 for first-time failure to pay, after that - $14,000. Amendments to the law have set fines several times lower, at $70 for first-time offenders and at $140 further on for non-payment.

The Platon system charging fees from heavy trucks with a mass of more than 12 tonnes for using the federal roads has been in effect since November 15. Up to March 1 2016 truck drivers will have to pay 1.53 roubles (roughly four US cents) per kilometer. Under the existing plans the rate is to go up in the future. Over the first two weeks in operation the system raised 550 million roubles for the federal road fund. This year’s target revenue is 40 billion. The money is to be spent on road repairs.

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