The head of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs explained the reasons for increasing fines for parking in the second lane

ArmInfo. Tougher penalties for parking in the second lane of the road are not aimed at increasing state budget revenues, but at preventing violations. The Armenian Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA) stated this in a conversation with journalists in parliament on October 26, in response to a question about how the increased penalties should help reduce road accidents.

She noted that each state independently determines its approach to traffic regulation, which includes tightening fine policies, tightening the penalty point system, or a combination of both. "When I travel to European countries on business, I try to understand such issues on the spot. Believe me, the proposed fine of 20,000 drams for parking in the second lane on roads is incomparable with the fines and the severity of the penalty point system in European countries. People there know that even a single violation of not wearing a seat belt can result in a fine of several hundred euros. Furthermore, the penalty point system is so strict that accumulating them can lead to the revocation of a driver's license," the minister noted.

Meanwhile, as the head of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs noted, along with their intention to increase the fine for parking in the second row, they have recently introduced other changes, including a 20% discount on traffic fines for drivers who refuse paper notices and opt for an electronic notification system, a 30% discount for paying the fine within 15 days of receiving the notice, and so on. At the same time, according to Sargsyan, the previous fine (5,000 drams - ed.) was not justified, since even after tens of thousands of administrative penalties, drivers continued to park in the second row. "This raises the question: what other alternative does the state have to solve this problem? So, should we all reach a consensus that we will no longer complain about cars parked in the second lane and accept that they create dangerous situations? No matter how many times patrol officers detect such violations, we see that this in no way contributes to their elimination. Under these circumstances, we are left with the task of increasing penalties. And this is not being done to generate more revenue for the state, but to make people think twice or three times before parking in the second lane," the head of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs assured.

She also reminded that compliance with the ban on parking in the second lane is a basic requirement of traffic regulations. Therefore, according to her, discussing whether the fine for such a violation should be lower is inappropriate. "First and foremost, we must proceed from the fact that such actions are prohibited. I would like to point out that, thanks to the actions taken in 2024-2025, a total of 95 lives were saved on Armenia's roads. According to the latest data, compared to the same period last year, the number of fatalities in road accidents has decreased by 7 people, and the number of injured people by 40. These figures demonstrate that we need to continue our ongoing road safety policy," Sargsyan concluded.

As a reminder, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs has developed a legislative initiative proposing to revise the fines and penalty points for traffic violations. Thus, instead of 5,000 drams for parking in the second or third row, and at public transport stops, it is planned to introduce a fine of 20,000 drams and 1 penalty point.