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Category: Government and Politics / Road Transport

Russia's Ambassador to Australia demands diplomats pay their driving fines

Tuesday, 20 Dec 2016 13:42:31 | Henry Belot

DFAT has struck a deal to ensure diplomats are no longer immune to licence suspensions. (AAP: Alan Porritt)

Russia's ambassador in Australia Grigory Logvinov has dismissed claims his diplomats are dangerous drivers and has ordered them to pay any outstanding fines.

A new agreement between the ACT Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has stripped diplomats of immunity on the roads, and will publicly name and shame offending drivers.

The crackdown on diplomatic driving was launched after a litany of offences on Canberra roads from unpaid parking fines to drink driving and speeding.

Mr Logvinov laughed when asked about controversy surrounding the behaviour of Russian drivers in recent months.

"It is a bit funny to hear some about kind of special behaviour of Russian diplomats on the road," he said.

Mr Logvinov referred to "a minor accident" in a Canberra carpark in October, when a public servant accused a diplomat of behaving aggressively and refusing to take responsibility for the bingle.

"First of all, it was not the fault of the Russian employee and only to show our respect to the lady from the country where we are posted, we have agreed with the proposal of the police that there would be equal responsibility," he said.

The public servant, Erika Bacon, said the accident was "100 per cent the diplomat's fault" and described an apology from the embassy as "very undiplomatic".

Mr Logvinov said he had investigated the behaviour of Russian diplomats after the accident and other media reports.

"Most of the fines come from parking lots so yes, they were violations in parking, but very few for speeding or other heavy violations," she said.

"That's why I can't agree that Russian diplomats are not disciplined drivers, just the contrary."

Freedom of information documents show many diplomats still have thousands of outstanding infringement fines despite repeated reminders to pay from Australian officials.

"I demand them to be paid," Mr Logvinov said.

"One can argue it is against the Vienna Conventions of diplomatic immunity, but still it is getting more widely practiced for diplomats to pay their fines and in Moscow most of the diplomats are also paying their fines."

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