Prime Minister Proposes Adding Non-Wearing Masks in Vehicles to Violations Recorded by the App

Today, Police Chief Vahe Ghazaryan presented at the government's regular meeting the issue of the maximum monthly and yearly number of electronic reports that can be sent regarding the same vehicle by the same individual in the specially designed state-owned system (mobile application), as well as the types of violations that can be recorded through the mobile application.

Thus, the draft stipulates that in the specially designed system that is state-owned and available in the mobile application, a maximum of 3 electronic reports can be submitted monthly and a maximum of 30 reports yearly regarding the same vehicle by the same individual.

“The mobile application can record 12 types of violations such as exiting the opposite traffic lane, violating stopping rules at bus stops, ignoring traffic light signals, throwing trash from a vehicle, and so on,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that one aspect has been overlooked – that is, the non-wearing of masks when there is more than one person in the vehicle. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that there are certain violations that cannot be recorded this way.

The Prime Minister asked what the problem was with the protection of personal issues and emphasized that we are currently in a situation where this needs to be added. “So now we are telling citizens that we are starting an anti-epidemic movement and we don’t want to provide them with tools to participate in it, Mr. Badasyan, what is the problem?” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister continued to hold his view and added: “Well, it’s better if they wear masks; they won’t be recognized, no matter what their relationships are. It’s an additional incentive to ensure anti-epidemic rules are followed, especially for people traveling by car who do not want to be recognized by others; it’s a great opportunity to wear masks that cover the face well and firmly.”

The Minister noted that there will also be challenges in terms of individual identification, but the Prime Minister reiterated his stance, saying: “A person without a mask is a potential threat to others. We should consider the fact that who said their face would be visible, or who is sitting in that vehicle. Can we not analyze footage in such a way that their face is captured?” he remarked and stressed that responsibility should be placed on the driver to resolve the issue.

“Are there no issues with the processing of personal data with those cameras hanging on the street?” the Prime Minister asked, and they clarified to him that individuals are not identified there and identification is only possible within the framework of a criminal case. Rustam Badasyan stated that the issue will be reviewed and they will try to find a solution, and the draft was adopted with that agreement.