DUSHANBE, March 4, Asia-Plus — After the law requiring ban on exploitation of right-hand drive (RHD) cars in Tajikistan takes effect exploitation of only one RHD vehicle will be permitted in the country – the mobile high-tech drug detecting complex belonging to the Drug Control Agency (DCA).
The counternarcotics agency that applied to the president in February asking for permission to exploit its HRD complex received an official permit recently.
The complex donated to Tajikistan by China is intended for detecting illicit transportation of drugs and other banned items in containers and vehicles. The equipment was handed over to Tajikistan on November 26, 2007 in accordance with government-to-government agreement with China. A total cost of the equipment is some 4 million US dollars.
The X-ray equipment is installed on a trailer Volvo. The complex is capable to scan any vehicle, including heavy trucks, in 3-5 minutes.
We will recall that by government’s resolution import of the RHD cars has been banned in Tajikistan since February 1. It cannot be ruled out that exploitation of the RHD cars will also be banned in the country in the near future.
According to the customs service, some 5,000 RHD cars are now in Tajikistan.
Traffic directionality refers to regulations requiring all vehicular traffic to keep either to the left or the right side of the road. Whether the right or the left is specified depends on the laws of each country. This is so fundamental to vehicular transport that it is commonly referred to as the rule of the road. The purpose of the rule of the road is to facilitate traffic flow and reduce the likelihood of head-on collisions. About 34% of the world population drives on the left, and 66% on the right.
A country”s traffic-handedness is most properly designated with reference to the rule of the road, i.e., the side of the road along which traffic flows. Using such a referent, countries are said to have left-hand traffic (LHT) or right-hand traffic (RHT). However, traffic-handedness is sometimes designated with reference to the placement of the steering wheel. Using this terminology, countries are said to be left-hand drive (LHD) or right-hand drive (RHD). In almost all cases, the placement of the steering wheel is opposite to the rule of the road: LHT countries use RHD vehicles, and RHT countries use LHD vehicles.
