UrBC, Moscow, April 22, 2019. Russian car drivers might soon be required by law to register as ‘amateurs’ (i.e. those who only have their vehicles for personal use) and ‘professionals’ (i.e. those who make a living out of it). The amendments to the Road Safety Act have recently been developed by the Transport Ministry and are now available online at regulation.gov.ru.

The ministry’s legislative proposal has to do with the fact that ‘amateurs’ have to process a lot of irrelevant information at their driving schools that does not actually address road safety issues. The current Education Act, however, does not allow for a selective approach to training, as all the students at driving schools are officially would-be ‘professionals’.

The proposed amendments are expected to make the training course easier and let Russian would-be drivers spend fewer hours at the driving schools; this, in its turn, will make the said training courses cheaper by RUB 1.43 billion a year. Potential professional drivers would still have to take the (expanded) courses in their entirety (which is estimated to cost an extra RUB 1.66 billion).

Professional drivers would also have to get re-licensed every five years. The new legislation isn’t meant to affect the drivers of special-purpose vehicles used for firefighting, rescue operations, or in the military.

The Transport Ministry suggests that the new amendments should come into force in two years’ time.