The Local Police is an institution subordinate to the City Hall, with limited powers, focused especially on maintaining public order at the local level. However, there are several situations in which local police officers can issue fines to drivers. But if you meet a local policeman at an intersection, are you bound to follow his directions?
According to the Road Code, the Romanian Police, through its subordinate institutions, is the institution empowered to apply the traffic law and to sanction drivers or institutions that violate traffic rules.
Thus, any police officer, whether he is from the Road Brigade or from another department, can issue traffic fines.
However, because the workload is very high, the state institutions have decided to delegate part of the duties to the Local Police. But these responsibilities are limited.
Can local police fine motorists in 2024?
In general, an agent of the Romanian Police attended a specialized school before being assigned to the post. Thus, he has a thorough knowledge of the laws and how they should be applied.
While a local policeman fills this position through direct recruitment, regardless of training level. That’s why the local police have the right to sanction only certain road violations.
Local police can fine you for:
- stopping, parking, parking of vehicles;
- failure to comply with the “Access prohibited” indicator;
- exceeding the maximum allowed mass;
- violation of road rules by pedestrians, cyclists, moped drivers and animal-drawn vehicles;
- traffic in the pedestrian area, in the residential area, in parks and recreational areas.
Local police officers can only detect and sanction these traffic law violations.
In addition, they can identify abandoned vehicles on the public domain and have them picked up.
Are you required to follow the directions of the local policeman directing traffic?
The local police are limited, in terms of legalso that they cannot sanction other traffic offenses other than those mentioned earlier.
Although they have been given traffic management duties, they cannot fine a driver who does not follow their directions. And not those who run the red light or ride the tram line.
„Even though the duties of local police officers are limited, drivers are required to follow their directions at intersections or when directing traffic. It is true, the local policeman cannot fine you, but he can report the incident to the traffic police. And for disobeying the policeman’s instructions, a contravention fine and the suspension of the license for 30 days are applied“, driving instructor Marian Croitoru, professor of road legislation, explained to ProMotor.
In addition, if you do not follow the directions of the officer at the intersection, regardless of whether he is from the Local Police or the Road Traffic, you risk causing an accident. In which case, according to the law, you will be solely responsible for the occurrence of the road accident.
So you are obliged to follow the directions of the local policeman directing the traffic.
Source: www.promotor.ro
