This draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation to Improve the Provisions Which Regulate Traffic of Vehicles Transporting Dangerous, Heavy and/or Bulky Cargo, was submitted by the Ministry of Transport.
The draft law stipulates the following:
· Allowing the transport of heavy cargo that exceeds by 2% the maximum allowable weight or maximum rated axle load limit for a vehicle without a special permit;
· The agency with the authority to issue special permits, shall receive the right to issue these special permits either independently or through affiliated state agencies;
· Establish inter-departmental information coordination between the authorised agency, the owners of motor roads and federal executive agencies during the provision of the relevant state service for issuing special permits for vehicles carrying heavy and/or bulky cargo, in compliance with the requirements of Federal Law No 210-FZ of July 27, 2010 On the Provision of State and Municipal Services.
As for the transport of hazardous cargo, the draft law stipulates introducing amendments to Article 31 of federal law On Motor Roads and Road Activity in the Russian Federation and on Introducing the Following Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation:
· Specify a list of hazardous cargo items requiring a special transport permit;
· Authorise the relevant federal executive transport oversight and monitoring agency to issue special permits, regardless of the affiliation of specific motor roads. At the same time, executive regional agencies and local governments shall be exempted from this authority.
Moreover, the draft law brings the provisions of Article 12.212 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation into conformity with the federal law On the Police, as regards the termination of Interior Ministry authority to approve the route of vehicles transporting dangerous cargo.
The draft law will reduce the number of requests being received by authorised agencies for the issue of special permits when maximum vehicle weights or axle loads being stipulated by national legislation are exceeded by 2%. This 2% limit meets the requirements of current standards for weighing equipment and the International Convention on the Harmonisation of Frontier Controls for Goods.
The draft law will make it possible to reduce specific deadlines and to improve the quality of providing the relevant state service for the issue of this special permit.
The draft law was reviewed and approved at a Government meeting on September 12, 2013.
