David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The legal robbery on “transit” Armenian roads shifted to a new phase. Any driver, first of all, a foreigner, who gets on the road between Yerevan and Artashat heading to Iran can feel it.
Recently this 30-km part of the four-lane road appeared to be dotted with speed limit signs – 50 km per hour. The previous top speed limit was 90 km/h. Drivers who drive at least at 52 km/h are stopped and fined by the traffic police, who are hidden on the oncoming lane. When drivers try to appeal to common sense, policemen point at signs. One of policemen told Vestnik Kavkaza that they don’t like doing what they have to do, but nothing can be done about it – it’s their job. Traffic policemen understand that limitation of top speed to 50 km/h on an international road feels like robbery, but they cannot do anything – it is “the order from the top.”
It should be noted that speed was limited “due to roadworks.” In reality there are no roadworks on any part of the highway. Obviously placing signs was made for one reason only – to rob law-abiding citizens “legally.”
Vestnik Kavkaza tried to reach for the head of the Department of Roads of Armenia under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Genrik Kochunyan, but failed. The official doesn’t pick up the phone, probably he is very busy, developing new plans for reducing speed limits on Armenian roads. We also didn’t receive sensible explanations on the issue from the Head Department of the Traffic Police.
Considering the logic of placing road signs on the highway “Yerevan-Yeraskh”, it seems the Department of Roads of Armenia creates extra “work” for the Traffic Police. According to some information the TP of Armenia plans to gain 6.7 billion drams (about $24 million) from punishments for offences in 2013, this prediction gets additional grounds. According to the same logic, they are enthusiastically placing new radio detectors in Armenia. For example, on the highway “Yerevan-Sevan-Idzhevan” the speed limit is 90 km/h, if you drive from Yerevan to Sevan; while driving from Sevan to Yerevan, you will get the speed limit in 70 km/h. Why should cars creep on Armenian international roads? There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such extortionate limits in Armenia.
However, rumors in Armenia explain much more than official sources. According to unofficial reports, the Armenian company Security Dream which suddenly appeared in 2011, is implementing the system of electronic fines together with the Swedish company Sensys Traffic AB. The company actually belongs to the brother of the president – Sashik Sarkisyan. The system of electronic fines (it costs 10 million euro) was implemented in Armenia in early 2012. The investor will get 70% of each fine and after return of investments – 50%. The rest will get into the state budget. By 2017 200 radar detectors will be placed in Armenia.
The only transit communication with Armenia is through the territory of Georgia and Iran. The Armenian authorities permanently declare improvement of transit attractiveness of the country, but the conditions for Iranian and Georgian cars driving through Armenia are becoming worse and worse. And the 50 km/h speed limit on an international highway is another step toward non-attractiveness of Armenia.
