RUSSIA: Moscovites stage "blue buckets" protest against elite's traffic privileges.

Record ID: 1475997

  • Title: RUSSIA: Moscovites stage "blue buckets" protest against elite's traffic privileges.
  • Date: 4th July 2010
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 3, 2010) (REUTERS) CARS WITH BLUE PLASTIC BUCKETS ATTACHED TO ROOF AND BLUE BALLOONS PROTEST PARTICIPANTS GATHERING IN SQUARE BLUE PLASTIC BUCKET ATTACHED TO CAR ROOF AND SIGN ON WINDOW "BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS IS A SHAME OF RUSSIA" BLUE PLASTIC BUCKETS AND BALLOONS MAN WITH TWO SMALL BLUE PLASTIC CUPS ATTACHED ON ROOF OF CAR PROTESTER WITH BICYCLE AND BLUE PLASTIC BUCKET ATTACHED TO HELMET CLOSEUP OF BICYCLE HELMET WITH BLUE PLASTIC BUCKET ATTACHED TO IT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SERGEI KANAYEV, HEAD OF MOSCOW BRANCH OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION OF CAR OWNERS AND PROTEST ORGANISER, SAYING: "The final goal of our campaign, which began on April 13, is to abolish from the paragraph 3 article 3,1 [of the Traffic Code] the permission for the cars of the state elite not to observe traffic rules. The situation we have today should be abolished and only cars of the emergency services, which serve public needs, should be allowed to use blue flashing lights." PROTESTERS WEARING HELMETS WITH BLUE PLASTIC BUCKETS ATTACHED TO THEM GROUP OF PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VLADIMIR, PROTEST PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "My car was involved in an accident and the man who caused the accident was in a car with blue flashing lights. He provoked the accident but then simply left the scene. I am here as a man who suffered from that and who experienced what it means to drive on the roads when the elite cars with "migalki" (blue lights) can break traffic rules." CARS WITH BLUE PLASTIC BUCKETS ATTACHED TO ROOFS AND BLUE BALLOONS TURNING ONTO KUTUZOVSKY PROSPECT, A HIGHWAY USED BY RUSSIAN STATE ELITE TO GET TO THE KREMLIN AND TO GOVERNMENT RESIDENCES PROTESTERS DRIVING ALONG KUTUZOVSKY PROSPECT PAIR OF MEN IN YELLOW VESTS ON SIDEWALK WATCHING AS PROTESTERS DRIVING BY MORE OF PROTESTERS DRIVING ALONG KUTUZOVSKY PROSPECT
  • Embargoed: 19th July 2010 10:37
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABZM54ADTYRTT66N2RB5KJS253
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Muscovites stage another protest in a campaign to abolish traffic privileges for the elite's cars
    About 70 cars with blue plastic toy buckets and balloons travelled through Moscow's main highway on Saturday (July 3) to protest against the city's elite using flashing blue lights on their vehicles, which allow them special driving privileges.

    For government officials living in Russia's grid-locked capital, having a flashing blue light on top of their car is an effective way to cut through the city's traffic jams. Often accompanied with a screaming siren, it allows them to ignore traffic rules and push other cars out of their lanes.

    The blue light, in Russian known as a 'Migalka', has proven to be so effective that their number has steadily grown, with well-connected businessmen happily paying bribes to acquire one.

    Official sources say there are nearly 1,000 'migalki' in Moscow, but the unofficial number is believed to be many times higher.

    Protesters attached blue buckets resembling "migalki" to their bicycle helmets and car roofs and signs reading: "Migalki" is a shame for Russia" were pasted to cars' windows.

    "The final goal of our campaign, which began on April 13, is to abolish from the paragraph 3 article 3,1 [of the Traffic Code] the permission for the cars of the state elite not to observe traffic rules. The situation we have today should be abolished and only cars of the emergency services, which serve public needs, should be allowed to use blue flashing lights," said protest organiser Sergei Kanayev, who is head of Moscow branch of the Russian federation of car owners.

    Traffic police often stop traffic to let an official car speed by, worsening congestion in the already jammed streets.

    According to the protesters, cars with flashing blue lights also cause numerous traffic accidents.

    "My car was involved in an accident and the man who caused the accident was in a car with blue flashing lights. He provoked the accident but then simply left the scene. I am here as a man who suffered from that," said protester Vladimir, the engineer from Moscow.

    The cars taking part in the protest paraded along Kutuzovsky prospect, the highway used by the state elite to get to the Kremlin and the White House, the government residence.

    The protest campaign has grown stronger since it began in April with more and more people attaching blue toy buckets to the roof of their car, leaving police searching for a legal reason to demand removal of the bucket from the car.

    Russian traffic police have pledged to investigate the illegal usage of "migalki", but activists say they will continue their action until only emergency vehicles are allowed to use them.
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