After a traffic accident in which the trolleybus was seriously damaged, the company "Rīgas satiksme" is demanding its driver to reimburse the repair costs — more than 11,000 euros. This decision by the employer came as a real blow to the woman, reports the Bez Tabu program (TV3).
Riga resident Larisa has about 16 years of experience as a trolleybus driver. Over the years working at "Rīgas satiksme," she has seen a lot and seemed like nothing could surprise her anymore, but the recent decision by her employer to fine her with a bill of more than 11,000 euros literally knocked the ground out from under her, Larisa said on the air of the program.
"I am the only working person in the family with a child! This is a very large amount for me!" she says.
Last summer, the trolleybus that Larisa was driving was involved in an accident: on the Cable Bridge, it collided with another vehicle of "Rīgas satiksme" — an emergency vehicle parked there for work by employees.
The trolleybus was seriously damaged in the collision, but Larisa and the passengers were unharmed.
"It was a Monday, I was well-rested after the weekend. I don’t remember that moment. At first, I thought I had fallen asleep because you keep driving, everything happens automatically. They checked the cameras, and the management said: 'No, you didn’t fall asleep.' For me, it’s some kind of mysticism," Larisa recalls.
She was also not intoxicated. Whether her vision was blurred or she was just lost in thought. She is an experienced driver.
After some time, the Loss Assessment and Liability Commission of "Rīgas satiksme" decided to charge Larisa 11,383.52 euros for the repair of the trolleybus.
"The obstacle on the road had flashing signals on. And without braking, she simply drove into the stationary emergency vehicle," clarified "Rīgas satiksme" representative Baiba Bartashevicha-Feldmane.
She explained that the driver was punished financially as a lesson to others because this is not only about 'iron' but also about human lives.
It turned out that "Rīgas satiksme" does not insure its fleet of public transport under a KASKO policy. For comparison, the Bez Tabu program surveyed several other passenger carriers — it turned out that they have such a policy for their vehicles.
Larisa does not consider herself guilty, but she does not understand why the vehicles of "Rīgas satiksme" do not have KASKO insurance, meaning that the work of drivers is not insured. However, Baiba Bartashevicha-Feldmane reminded that KASKO does not protect drivers; rather, the insurance company can demand reimbursement from them. "Rīgas satiksme" itself does not purchase expensive insurance because the cost of repairs over the year usually equals the cost of insurance policies.
The union advised to contest the decision of "Rīgas satiksme," noting that punishing someone as a lesson to others is some kind of Soviet principle.
Currently, the company is waiting for Larisa's statement to determine how, when, and how much she will be able to pay for the repair of the trolleybus, which is already back on the streets of Riga.
Last year, the "Rīgas satiksme" commission reviewed 150 cases of property damage, and in 20 cases, money was recovered: not only for damage to vehicles but also for damage to phones and computers. Both drivers and administrative staff paid.
Leave a comment