Administrative Outages Impact Moscow Traffic Services and Driver Registrations

In the morning, Moscow’s traffic authorities reported disruptions that prevented vehicle registration and the issuance of driver’s licenses in the capital’s departments.

Officials noted that teams were actively addressing a technical glitch and working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Two hours later, the traffic police announced the resumption of public services at departments located in flagship multifunctional centers. The ministry pledged to share updated information as systems came back online and data continued to flow.

On the Telegram channel Shot, the traffic police database appeared temporarily unavailable nationwide following a software update, with troubleshooting estimated to take from several hours to a few days. [Source: socialbites.ca]

When asked for comment on the outage, senior investigators from the Main Directorate of Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were not able to confirm a nationwide failure. The ministry’s press service declined to provide details beyond directing readers to the ministry’s own communications channels. [Citation: socialbites.ca]

Chronic outages

The last major outage in Moscow’s traffic-police systems occurred in October. The Federal Information System used for vehicle registration reportedly freezes and halts operations, according to reports on Telegram channels such as Baza, leaving many processes paused. [Source: socialbites.ca]

Huge lines formed at regional registration and examination sites as the disruption persisted. In Chelyabinsk, early November saw software issues halt registration and testing processes.

A deputy chairman of the National Automobile Union raised concerns that systemic failures in the State Traffic Inspectorate have become a regular pattern, sometimes occurring every two to three months or more. He cautioned that many drivers may not follow official updates and could arrive at MREO offices only to find appointments unavailable, potentially causing widespread confusion. [Source: socialbites.ca]

One critic likened the situation to a mismatch of specialties: a shoemaker fixes boots, an IT specialist manages information systems, and a police officer enforces laws, not the management of complex electronic platforms. The argument favored transferring information-system responsibilities to the Ministry of Digital Development so experts can handle the infrastructure. [Citation: socialbites.ca]

Driver-related issues

Vehicle owners are advised to complete registration within ten days of purchase to avoid fines under the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses. A lawyer for the Freedom of Automobile Choice movement reminded that if a statute is detected by on-road police, penalties can range from 500 to 800 rubles. [Source: socialbites.ca]

People hoping to register a car or obtain a license may face delays. Those intending to re-register should plan for possible rescheduling as vacancies may fill quickly. The unstable electronic database has been linked to multiple outages in recent months. [Citation: socialbites.ca]

Experts warn that software faults could affect automatic fine issuance, making it difficult to verify responsibility for repeat offenses, which would complicate enforcement. The idea is that interconnected systems are needed to ensure accurate outcomes for violations such as red-light running or improper lane use. [Source: socialbites.ca]

Root causes

Analysts suggest several possible contributors to the outages: aging computer hardware, outdated software, undertrained programmers, mid-level staff shortages, and overall workflow gaps.

One observer admitted uncertainty about the exact cause, while another believed the Ministry of Internal Affairs likely knows why these issues recur. The view is that such outages are not new and have happened repeatedly, with officials not always providing full explanations. [Source: socialbites.ca]

A human-rights advocate and another critic both pointed to staff competence as a factor, arguing that people are stretched across unfamiliar tasks and that a halt in the system is necessary to prevent further confusion. [Citation: socialbites.ca]