Around the notorious Plato system, there have been many disagreements, disputes, and even conflicts lately. This article will provide answers to questions about what Plato is on the road, how this system works and why it is needed.
"Plato" - what is it?
Perhaps it’s worth starting with the name of the system. So, contrary to popular belief, the program got its name not in honor of the ancient Greek philosopher, but from the abbreviation of the phrase “pay per ton”. So what is this system?
According to the program, drivers of any vehicles weighing 12 or more tons should be entered into a special database. What is it for? As the developers of the system in question assure, the main goal of the program is to improve the roadbed in Russia. Every year, heavy trucks cause significant damage to roads, due to which the condition of the canvas is greatly deteriorating. Thanks to the Plato database, each driver of large vehicles will be able to contribute to the restoration of Russian roads. At the same time, budget funds will hardly be spent, except for the purchase of equipment for the operation of the database.
How does Plato work?
"Plato" is a road payment system that works according to several basic principles. The first of these is advances. A trucker can send a certain amount of money immediately before departure. The second option is payment for the distance traveled. In the same way, a certain amount of money is deposited before leaving the highway, but with a small addition: a special on-board computer connected to the GLONASS satellite system is installed in the trucker's cab. 
And finally, the third option - so far unfinished. We are talking about the hinged frames that are part of the Plato system. A trucker passing special electromagnetic-type constructions “gives away” information about the distance traveled.
You can pay for “rolled” kilometers at any ATM where there is such an opportunity, or in your personal account on the Platon.ru website.
How did you come up with Plato?
As already mentioned, the main reason for the appearance of the system in question is the poor condition of the roads. Every year, federal highways suffer from heavy vehicles. For example, the damage of one car weighing 12 tons is equal to the damage from the passage of almost 40 thousand cars. On a national scale, about 1 trillion rubles each year is spent on the restoration of pavement. Naturally, this amount is not enough.
The Russian authorities decided to take an example from European states where systems similar to Plato have long been operating. Toll roads, payment of restoration of road surface, large tax fees - all this is a normal reality for truckers in Europe. The idea to adopt a similar system belongs to the Federal Road Agency; The program operator is RT-Invest Transport Systems LLC. All funds raised must be transferred to the FDA.
System implementation process
Having dealt with what “Plato” is on the roads of the Russian Federation, it is worth paying attention to another important issue. It relates to the implementation of the program in question. Is the system fully operational today or are only some parts of the program accepted?
The fact that the program in question will appear soon, the owners of heavy trucks began to warn for a long time. Since the announcement, the system has caused quite a stormy reaction.Opinions about Plato were very diverse; while no one doubted that the program would certainly greatly change the life of truckers. In August 2015, the first steps began to register car owners. Getting into the list went on the principle of "large to small." By September 2016, there were about 600 thousand heavy vehicles in the system, 13% of which belonged to private entrepreneurs, 20% to private car owners, and another 9% to foreign citizens.
Spending system revenues
A little more detail is worth telling about how the money received in the Plato system is spent. The road payment system, as you know, aims to repair the road surface. Funds entering the system will be transferred both to the federal road agency and to private state partnerships. According to the plans of the government, the revenue from the program should be about 40 billion rubles annually. This will allow to repair the bulk of the roads by 2019.
Regional road funds, which will receive funds from Plato, are required to report to the FDA. This will allow to quickly implement all significant municipal projects. According to Russian authorities, the program will allow repairing large bridges, freeways, tunnels, multiple viaducts and other similar facilities. The Ministry of Transport even claims that Plato will not only improve the quality of roads, but also optimize the work of cargo delivery.
Board size
Finally, it’s worth moving on to the most important and interesting point - money. The question of what “Plato” is on the roads will best be described by exact numbers. So, until February 2016, the tariff for crossing one kilometer on a toll road was equal to one and a half rubles (1.5293 rubles per km). Since March 2016, the fare for one kilometer has grown to 3.06 rubles. According to the developers of the program, this figure will last until the end of 2018. Is this rate high? If you compare with Belarus, where the rate is six times higher, then no. If we compare with the countries of Europe, then our interest in comparison with the European ones will be completely insignificant (for example, the Austrian tariff as of 2017 is 20 times higher than the Russian one).
So what is the problem? Why are so many truckers protesting all over the country? Is it a matter of banal greed, unwillingness to give an extra penny to the development of the road system? Unfortunately, everything here is not so simple. The problems of the system under consideration will be described below.
Who owns Plato?
The system of toll roads "Plato" is controlled by the state in the person of the Russian Automobile Road Agency (Rosavtodor). The institution has signed a contract with the private company RT-Invest Transport Systems. As a result of the conclusion of the agreement, a special infrastructure was created, which received the name "Plato".
RTITS, according to the clauses of the concluded agreement, is obliged to build the entire system at its own expense. For 13 years, Plato has been used by RT-Invest, after which it goes into the hands of the state. RTITS transfers all the money received to the Russian budget (according to forecasts, the company should raise $ 15 billion by 2029). In exchange, the company will receive a remuneration of 10 billion rubles. The RTITS operator is Igor Rotenberg, who owns a 50% stake in the company. Igor is the son of Arkady Rotenberg, a prominent businessman and friend of Vladimir Putin.
The Russian BBC service (BBC) was able to find out that the economic data provided by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation were not compiled correctly. In short, the cost-sharing formula contains the damage coefficient from freight vehicles based on the ratio of reduction to passenger cars. Even the Ministry of Economic Development tried to argue with the Ministry of Transport, but to no avail. The BBC claims that the body is manipulating numbers intentionally - in order to provide the program with at least zero profitability.
What are truck drivers unhappy with?
Probably, none of the truckers have long wondered what the Plato is on the road. The system has become incredibly popular not only in narrow circles, but throughout Russia. Probably, every citizen is already notified of the existence of the program in question. What is the reason for such a fierce popularity of the system? The source, as usual, lies in the most severe injustice. A simple example is worth giving.
A citizen acquired three heavy trucks on lease. In order to recoup automobiles, he must “dash off” at least 20 thousand kilometers. For one small flight, you can earn an average of 50 thousand rubles. Half of the amount goes to pay for fuel - it remains 25 thousand. A month the car can roll a maximum of 7 flights. It turns out about 175 thousand rubles. 50 thousand are spent on repairs, 70 thousand on lease payments. 40 thousand rubles are spent on salaries for truckers themselves. 30 thousand remain. The question arises as to which roads the Plato operates on. It turns out that almost everyone. The system affects federal roads. Thus, Plato can take about 20 thousand rubles from the pocket of the citizen in question. The result - a payment of a little more than 10 thousand rubles.
What kind of development of freight transportation, referred to in the Ministry of Transport, can we talk about in this situation? Paying attention to European tariffs, one should first of all take into account the simple fact that incomes in the West are much higher. Unfortunately, the current authorities have not paid attention to this.
Legal claims to the system
The main complaint to the program is the uncompetitive choice of a company leader. Moreover, in 2013, the government organized a competition for participation in similar systems. For some reason, Plato did not enter it - in 2014, the head of Russian Technologies referred to the sanctions, because of which “less attention should be paid to the Western experience.” The government independently determined the concessionaire - RTITS became it.
Many citizens were outraged not even by the uncompetitive basis for choosing a concessionaire, but by how exactly RTITS operates. The thing is that the company not only collects money from truckers, but also receives considerable rewards from the state. However, from a legal point of view, everything is right here: the company creates a system and transfers it to the customer - the state, which later pays the contractor remuneration. Much more questions arise when looking at economic rather than legal claims.
Economic claims to the system
What will lead to huge taxes on transportation, massive layoffs of truckers and an emphasis on toll roads in Russia? "Plato", according to many experts, will do tremendous damage to the country's economy. It will be reflected primarily in ordinary citizens. In short, the increase in rates will inevitably affect the prices of any goods in the state. Moreover, it is already reflected. In just a few months after the start of the system, prices on store shelves increased significantly. Both experts and third-party companies are worried. So, the Coca-Cola Company announced the possible loss of 20% of organizational vehicles. The head of Rosavtodor expressed his fears.
What do truckers do?
Obviously, to the question of what should be done by freight forwarders, many will answer monosyllabically: to protest. Of course, protests have a significant impact on the entire system under consideration. More people will learn about the program, after which he will also express his dissatisfaction. But there are citizens with hopeless situations who have no choice but to work. What advice should be given to such individuals?
- You need to learn more about the federal highways controlled by the Plato system. What roads are not federal? Is it possible to get to my destination not on a major highway, but on a narrow gauge railway? All truckers should seriously think about this.
- You can legally use the toll road. To do this, it’s worth answering the question of how much the roads included in Plato are worth.Russia is a country with many paths and interchanges, and therefore it is almost always possible to find economical options.
- There is an option to transfer to a vehicle weighing less than 12 tons.
If none of the options presented is suitable, you will have to pay.