Federation nationals will gain the freedom to set the amount of fines for toll-road violators themselves. The funds collected are directed to local budgets, drawing from the Treasury accounts managed by the Ministry of Transport, a detail cited by Kommersant in its coverage.
The bill proposed by the department updates article 12.21.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which currently prescribes penalties for driving on toll roads without payment. Presently, the fine stands at 1.5 thousand rubles for passenger cars and 5,000 rubles for trucks and buses. The Ministry of Transport suggests restricting the sanction to federal roads, while regional authorities would have the autonomy to define their own penalties for toll violations. The ministry, together with the Public Works and Water Management agencies, justifies this shift by pointing to findings from an analysis of enforcement practices and the need to align fines with regional realities.
If enacted, the changes are likely to affect motorists using major corridors such as the Moscow Ring Road, the northern route running parallel to Kutuzovsky Prospekt, upcoming toll routes in the Moscow region, and other regional facilities currently under construction or planned for toll collection.
Article 12.21.4 was introduced at the end of 2020 to deter drivers from bypassing toll payments on toll roads maintained through a barrier-free, free-flow system. Throughout the system’s existence, the toll-collection network has issued more than a million fines in connection with nonpayment or improper payment, underscoring the scale of enforcement already in place and the potential impact of any policy shift toward regional control.
Another notable aspect of the bill concerns the presumption of innocence in the event of an erroneous toll charge detected by a camera. Under the proposed provisions, the burden would fall on the vehicle owner to prove that no violation occurred, rather than the authorities assuming the fault in cases of mistaken charges. This change would alter the typical flow of dispute resolution around toll penalties and could prompt motorist appeals and policy reviews at multiple administrative levels.
The legislative process is ongoing, with all proposals currently under consideration. A unified concept is expected to emerge as discussions proceed, with stakeholders weighing enforcement effectiveness, local budgeting needs, and the fair treatment of drivers under a system that interacts with both federal and regional road networks.