Russia’s Main Directorate for Traffic Safety (GIBDD) has been renamed back to the historical State Automobile Inspectorate (GAI), head of the traffic police force Mikhail Chernikov.
“We’ve now become the State Automobile Inspectorate,” Mikhail Chernikov said.
Chernikov said the traffic police name change had already taken effect, adding that all official documents now carry the GAI acronym, Autonews reported.
The GAI was established in 1936. Russia’s traffic police force maintained that name until it was changed to the GIBDD in the late 1990s.
After first assuming office in 2001, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not understand the reason for the renaming.
