Vitaly Efimov, a member of the State Duma Committee on Transport and the head of the Union of Transport Workers of Russia, proposed a practical change to how forgotten documents are handled on the road. He suggested allowing drivers to hire a taxi to retrieve their missing driver’s license, instead of facing penalties for being without essential paperwork. The proposal was reported by lenta.ru as part of a broader discussion about easing administrative burdens for motorists.
Efimov argues that if a bill would remove penalties for drivers who forget or misplace their driver’s license and vehicle registration certificate, motorists would not be forced into a punitive loop. Instead, they could simply leave the car, take a taxi, fetch the necessary documents, and continue their journey. He described the current penalties as overly harsh, noting that people forget documents from time to time and still need to move forward with their daily responsibilities. In his view, issuing fines for such lapses resembles penalties for traffic violations like speeding, which seems disproportionate to the actual offence.
Under the current regulations, a driver who lacks both a valid driver’s license and the vehicle registration certificate can face a fine of 500 rubles. Beyond the monetary penalty, if the driver does not possess the required STS documentation, an inspector may prohibit driving and may have the vehicle towed to an impound lot. Efimov’s wage of reform rests on reducing unnecessary punitive steps while keeping road safety intact, arguing that a narrowly targeted policy tweak could preserve public order without penalizing ordinary human error.
There is a broader policy conversation around renewal timelines for driver documents. It was reported that, according to a Telegram channel associated with the controversy, licenses that expire in 2024 to 2025 would not be automatically renewed under the proposed framework. This point underscores the tension between maintaining up-to-date credentials and avoiding rigid penalties that disrupt everyday mobility for drivers who otherwise comply with regulations.
Separately, precautionary measures in neighboring regions and among nearby states have drawn attention to how cross-border vehicles are treated. Estonia’s decision to restrict entry for vehicles carrying Russian license plates has amplified debates about how documentation and registration carryweight in regional transport networks. While this policy sits beyond the Russian legislative agenda, it reinforces the importance of clear, predictable rules for drivers who travel across borders or interact with transport authorities in different jurisdictions. The evolving landscape of transport policy—both inside Russia and in surrounding areas—highlights the need for balance between enforcement and practical mobility for everyday users of the road. [citation: lenta.ru]