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Raids, fines and tariff raising… What New Year brought to the Donetsk residents

01/16/2020 10:52:00 am
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2020 began to "please" the Donetsk people from the very first minutes. According to official reports, the minions of the "DNR" law detained 1200 violators during the first few holidays.

Well, a good reason to be happy for the people who are being protected from rowdies and hooligans. In truth, the criminal statistics did not indicate for what kind of offenses people were brought to the police stations.

Of course, those who could not cope with emotions, being under the influence, were among them. But judging by the messages on social networks – a person could have been taken away from the street for the fact that he/she did not take a passport with him/her. Although it is hard to believe, because few people would even risk leaving home without a document during the years of conflict in the Donbass. Therefore, it is highly likely that those who presented a Ukrainian passport to the patrols, and not the Russian Federation or the "DNR", were also referred to as the "offenders". Witnesses talk and write about this in social networks.

Being at the station, the most courageous asked: "So, the Ukrainian passport is no longer an identity card on the territory of the "DNR"? Then they asked to show the Law or some order confirming this absurdity, and were told that the Ukrainian passport is no longer an identity card on the territory of the "DNR" and were kindly advised to complain to the "ministry".

Social networks indignantly report that not only a group of young people walking along the boulevard or visiting, but even men leading children and women to the Christmas tree could be accused of "atrocities".

However, the "law enforcers" do not "commit atrocities" on the Lenin Square, they only walk around decorously with machine guns, reminding the people that they live not somewhere in gangster Ukraine, but in a real "people's republic".

They also say that the "law enforcers" even have a plan to "catch" people with Ukrainian passports - five people should be detained every day from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. This is a kind of retribution for the abolition of curfews for the period of holidays. And stimulation of the population to receive local and Russian passports. They also talk about a quite practical aspect - the police fingerprint detainees with Ukrainian passports. And since the Ukrainian passport is a kind of political identification in the sixth year of the war, the fingerprints of such people may come in very handy…

Since January 1, motorists have been waiting for another surprise from the "authorities" of the "republic" - raids on cars with Ukrainian license plates began on the city streets.

As the local population is explained, this is so that there would be no provocations on the part of Ukrainians who "came in large numbers" on holidays, who, unlike those living in the "republic", do not have a second set of numbers for internal use.

The Traffic policemen are so polite - they even help the Donetsk people to remove the wrong Ukrainian license plates and change them to the correct ones issued in the "DNR". They also politely call a tow truck for those who have no second set of numbers, and send the car to a parking lot, where you can take it back after paying a fine - from $5.4 to $8.2. But there are few such cases, because the drivers prefer not to bring the situation to the boiling point and continue their journey through alleys and yards after paying a certain amount (paying on the spot without a receipt).

However, the main New Year's gift for the residents of the "republic" from the "authorities" was almost doubled cost of travel in public transport, voiced by Pushilin on the "direct line" with the population. Of course, he called this step a "necessary measure" in order to find the possibility of raising the salaries of public transport workers.

The "head" recalled that the salaries of drivers barely reach $60 and were less than the minimum pension ($64). And that they would receive $106 after the increase.

Local media immediately began to clap their hands and hastened to assure the population of the "republic" that absolutely no one would feel such a slight increase in travel expenses after the January increase in salaries to the state employees and pensions by 20-26%.

Spokeswoman for Pushilin Victoria Talakina writes on her FB that thanks to "expanding the economy, sales markets and increasing budget revenues", another increase in social payments and benefits is planned from 2020, which suggests that the price increase for travel in public transport will not adversely affect the welfare of the people. Picking up this topic, one of the official mouthpieces of the "DNR" Sergey Ishchenko suggests complete canceling of free travel for pensioners in the city electric transport, leaving benefits only to children and members of large families.

"Maybe I am wrong. But I would replace a ridiculous ride for 3 rubles in a tram with 5 rubles. 15-20 rubles for fixed-route taxis. Rounded up numbers - less change, the driver is distracted less often. The reduced fare should be left only for children and large families' members".

Some Donetsk residents agree with an increase in the fare, saying that there are really not enough funds for maintaining the public transport. Because the rates for diesel fuel and spare parts in the "DNR" are stratospheric. However, the majority is still against such an increase, citing the example of fares in Russian Rostov (20 rubles), where, as you know, salaries and pensions are several times higher than in Donetsk.

The Donetsk residents are frightened that this will not stop and they will face another wave of rising prices and tariffs, among which may be centralized heat supply, gas and hot water, a moratorium on increasing which ended on January 1, 2020 after the rise in price of other utilities.

Teachers and doctors of the uncontrolled Donbass comment on the increase in salaries from January 1 with special humor. They say that they began to receive less and with a delay after the September increase in salaries, so they ask not to raise, but to return advances, allowances for seniority and overtime.

Luisia Molchanova, Donetsk, specially for OstroV