Important changes of the electronic toll system “Platon“ in Russia
For further information please visit the „Platon“ ECTS website www.platon.ru or call one of the 138 customer service centers
As of 15 April 2016 foreign carriers using federal roads in Russia will have to register with the Electronic Toll Collection System (ETCS). This shall compensate the damages caused on federal roads by vehicles of more than 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight, informs the Austrian association of international road carriers (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internationaler Straßenverkehrsunternehmer Österreichs – AISÖ).
The following changes will become effective:
- Only users registered with the ECTS can buy toll cards;
- Single toll cards will no longer be sold (this was only a temporary measure for carriers who were not able to receive the registration before the introduction of the Platon toll system on 15 November 2015);
- The validity of the toll cards will be reduced to 7 days.
Rostransnadzor, the Federal Service for monitoring traffic is now authorised to impose fines on foreign drivers who did not pay tolls.
Enforcement officers have the right to stop the vehicle until the penalty and the toll are paid. First offenses are punishable by RUB 5,000 (EUR 64.5), then the penalty is increased to RUB 10,000 (EUR 129).
The penalty may be imposed only once per day per vehicle.
Once a foreign vehicle has crossed the Russian border, it can drive a distance of up to 50 kilometres without immediate payment of the toll, provided that the next payment will cover this section of road.