Taking into account the higher public interest, we would like once again to make clear the position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the traffic safety draft, in particular, the contactless patrolling.
In the last period the media purposely replicates the opinions on the so-called "covert surveillance" allegedly launched by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Although the Ministry has repeatedly explained reasonably that the contactless patrolling has nothing common with the "surveillance," it is obvious that the mentioned is deliberately misinterpreted in order to mislead the civil society.
In the last 2-3 years the number of vehicles in Georgia has increased by 20%. The risks of accidents and the traffic load on roads have also increased.
The MIA's main task is to protect the lives and safety of citizens; therefore, we are obliged to take effective measures in this area.
We would like to emphasize that the contactless patrolling as well as the traffic safety project serves the most important value - human life and safety. It is clear that:
• Contactless patrolling is not conducted towards the previously identified person or a group of persons, but it also involves the whole traffic process, without identification of any individual. Contactless patrolling identifies only the vehicle that violates the traffic rules.
• Even in case of violation of traffic rules a driver is not the subject of identification; there shall be drawn up a fine-video minute in the name of the vehicle’s owner and this has been an established standard.
Contactless patrolling is approved in many western countries; it protects traffic participants: pedestrians, passengers and drivers - even when the police patrols are absent on place.
According to the draft, contactless patrolling has no impact on the driving license in terms of withdrawing the scores.
As for the request for deployment the special information signs, the issue is already regulated by the Law of Georgia on Police, in particular, under the 2nd clause of the article 27, the information regarding self-operating photo (radar) and video devices shall be indicated in a visible place.
The MIA guides and shall guide by the principles of Law.
