Reckless peddlers: catching violators among bike couriers
The rapid development of delivery services in recent years has led to the appearance of a huge number of couriers on electric bicycles on the roads and sidewalks of cities. Unlike regular SIM users, deliverymen scurry around all year round, often ignoring traffic regulations. Therefore, the State Traffic Inspectorate regularly conducts raids on the prevention and suppression of offenses on the road by bicycle couriers. A correspondent of Izvestia participated in one of them together with inspectors of the traffic police of the Eastern District of Moscow.
"I know the rules."
Unlike the raid to identify drunk drivers, when they had to search for drunk drivers half the night, they did not have to wait long for the offending courier. The first "client", who famously changed lanes from the sidewalk immediately to the far left lane, despite the markings, came into the field of view of traffic police just a couple of minutes after the start of the patrol.
After passing next to the tram tracks, the deliveryman crossed the rails right in front of the traveling tram, ignoring the signals of the driver. Having turned on the special signals, the police rush after the "peddler" and demand that he stop. Having blocked the escape route with a patrol car, the traffic police inform the bewildered deliveryman of the reason for the increased attention to his person.
— Are you aware that you just grossly violated the rules of the road? Do you have your passport with you? Give it to him and follow us carefully," the traffic police inspector points out the place where the courier should move his equipment.
The delivery service employee clearly does not understand what complaints the traffic police have against him.
— I'm wearing a helmet, I wasn't driving on the crosswalk, and I wasn't driving on the sidewalk either. I know the rules! — He justifies himself.
The police had to open the traffic regulations and show the "expert" the 24th chapter, according to which neither a bicycle nor a SIM can turn left and turn around on streets with tram tracks, as well as on roads with more than one lane for traffic in each direction. Only then did the bike courier admit that he was wrong.
While one patrolman draws up a protocol under Article 12.29 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation ("Violation of traffic rules by a pedestrian or other person involved in the traffic process") and issues a fine of 800 rubles to the violator, his partner carefully examines the courier electric bike. According to the rules, Sims include equipment whose power does not exceed 250 watts. Anything higher (up to 4 kW) is already recognized as a moped, which requires a driver's license of category "M" or any other higher category. If the power of the electric motor exceeds this parameter, then this technique is already a motorcycle and requires a category "A" license.
In this case, this is a SIM — 240 watts is indicated on the motor wheel. At the same time, the traffic inspector admits, it is simply impossible to check the real power of this equipment on the road: you have to believe the markings indicated on the SIM itself.
"The burgers will get cold"
After handing the bike courier a copy of the decree, explaining the payment procedure (there is also a 25% discount on these fines when paying for 30 days) and giving a mini-lecture on traffic regulations, the police return to the patrol route. And again, just a couple of minutes later, another violator is noticed, who quickly crossed four lanes of a busy street on an electric bike.
— Well, where are we going in such a hurry? Not only are we crossing the road without walking, as required by traffic regulations, but we are also in the wrong place! Do you have your documents with you? Let's go through! — the traffic police officer invites the offender into the patrol car.
— But people are waiting for me! I'm taking them an order, and the burgers will get cold... Maybe I'll go? — the delivery guy is trying to soften up the cops.
— If they don't cool down, we will issue a protocol quickly. But the next time someone rushes across the road, they may "cool off" under the wheels of a car, the police joked darkly.
"Not to punish, but to show"
Another courier almost crashed into a traffic police patrol car that stopped at a traffic light. The deliveryman noticed the red light at the last moment and barely managed to brake, almost leaning on the left side of the official car. He, like his other colleagues, was also fined under Article 12.29 of the Administrative Code.
Despite the fact that bike couriers and SIM drivers actually have different violations, the current legislation provides for them only a fine of 800 rubles for any offense, regardless of its nature or severity. At the same time, several bills have been under consideration by the State Duma for almost three years now, providing for the differentiation of responsibility for traffic violations by these road users.
According to Police Major Yevgeny Orlov, senior inspector of the Department of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Moscow, the situation with bicycle couriers is gradually improving. A few years ago, driving this vehicle along the zebra was not perceived by the delivery men as a traffic violation at all. There are still a lot of such cases now, but noticeably fewer than before, he noted. In addition, the vast majority of these traffic participants are now wearing protective helmets.
"Our task is not to punish as many bike couriers as possible, but to tell them about traffic regulations, point out the most common mistakes and thereby prevent violations, and hence potential accidents," Evgeny Orlov told Izvestia.
He said that preventive work with couriers and delivery services is carried out on an ongoing basis. During such meetings, traffic inspectors talk in detail about the rules for the safe use of SIM cards, remind about the provisions of the traffic regulations governing the operation of such equipment, and sort out controversial situations that arise on the road, the police major noted.
During a three-day preventive raid on bicycle couriers in the Eastern District alone, traffic inspectors revealed almost 500 violations committed by delivery men and SIM drivers. In total, the police in Moscow compiled more than 4,500 administrative materials.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
