Press Release, 16.12.2020

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent an appeal to Public Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov in connection with regional authorities blocking of travel cards, which allow certain categories of citizens to use public transport for free or with benefits. He also called on the regional authorities to pay compensations for imposing such restrictions.

Rybakov notes that initiatives to block travel cards were undertaken throughout Russia: not only in Moscow and the Moscow region, but also in St. Petersburg, Omsk, Tyumen, Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Citizens from different regions of the country often filed such complaints with the party.

The list of citizens who have the right to use benefits for travel on public transport in Moscow includes retired citizens, students, schoolchildren, war workers, labour veterans, visually impaired disabled people and other categories of citizens. Also, in connection with the decree of the Mayor of Moscow, travel cards were suspended for persons with diseases.

“At the same time, these citizens can and always have a vital need to use public transport to visit grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics and under no circumstances can they go without it. Accordingly, they are forced to pay the full cost of travel in city public transport,” the head of Yabloko emphasises in his address.

Nikolai Rybakov also notes that such restrictions are contrary to Russian law, since they do not provide for monetary or other compensation. In this regard, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 10, paragraph 2 of Article 21 of the federal law No. 168-FZ “On the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation” of 1117.11.1995, the head of Yabloko suggests that Public Prosecutor General should  instruct the public prosecutor’s offices of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to check the observance of social rights of citizens when introducing restrictive measures and upon detecting cases of violation of the law, to take measures of prosecutorial response prescribed by law.

“I consider it necessary to the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, where such violations were committed, to independently decide on the payment of compensation to certain categories of citizens in the amount of the lost benefit in 2020 no later than in January-February 2021 and provide for such payment in the future for the period of restrictive measures”, runs the letter by Nikolai Rybakov.