VIDEO: Citizens Today Are More ‘Material for Fines’ - Manukyan

The National Assembly is discussing a draft presented by the ‘Armenia’ faction, which proposes to nullify the provisions of the RA Administrative Code regarding administrative offenses that impose penalty points and suspension of driving rights for individuals who violate traffic rules.

Gegham Manukyan, a member of the ‘Armenia’ faction, stated that this draft does not dispute the effectiveness of the point system nor the amount of fines imposed.

“The main reason for contesting this law is the requirement of the RA Constitution, particularly Article 68, Part 1, which states that no one can be tried twice for the same act. As a result of implementing the point system, driver citizens of Armenia are subjected to monetary fines for violating traffic rules while simultaneously facing another penalty for the same violation, whereby they lose points and ultimately lose their right to drive,” the MP elaborated.

According to him, in 2017, when the point system was not yet in place, 279 citizens died on Armenia’s roads due to accidents; in 2018, the number rose to 343; in 2019, it was 341; and in 2021, there were 368 fatalities when the point system had already been implemented.

“The current government came to power in 2018 with several theses, asserting that ‘there are too many speed cameras, too many surveillance cameras, and they must be removed.’ Rather than decreasing over the past 3-4 years, speed cameras and surveillance cameras have increased. The thesis voiced in the government back in 2019 that ‘citizens are not material for fines’ has become even more applicable with the implementation of the point system, making them subject to fines and point deductions, eventually leading to the loss of their driving rights,” said Manukyan.