The Road Administration Warns: Roadside Selling of Goods Endangers Traffic Safety
State Enterprise Lithuanian Road Administration (later – the Road Administrattion) together with the Lithuanian Police pays attention to illegal and dangerous selling of various goods from forests, gardens and farms on the roadside.
In summer and later in autumn, the number of various stands for selling summer and (or) autumn goods from forests, gardens and farms increases on the state significance roads. It should be pointed out that the most popular selling locations are on higly trafficked main and national roads.
In some cases, chaotic selling on the roadside causes traffic accidents: drivers are distracted; cars stop dead when they see a selling point; drivers break the Road Traffic Regulations by stopping and (or) parking in forbidden places, crossing traffic lanes, hindering visibility to and driving conditions of other drivers.
According to the Director of the Road Administration Remigijus Lipkevičius, a selling point is selected at the carriageway, on road exits or even at bus shelters and parking lots.
“Those selling goods on the roadside endanger their own safety and the safety of those who stop to buy and other road users. Therefore, in order to protect human health and lives, we are asking the institutions in charge to take necessary measures in order to ensure order and traffic safety”, says R. Lipkevičius.
Such actions are not only dangerous, but punishable as well. The Law on Roads and the Law on Special Use of Land stipulate that selling on the road without the road owner‘s permission is not allowed and that selling on the road protection zone shall be coordinated with the road owner.
The Road Administration as the owner of state significance roads does not issue permits for selling on these locations. Pursuant to the Administrative Law Violation Code of the Lithuanian Republic, selling on roads and near them imposes a fine.
The Head of the Lithuanian Road Police Department Vytautas Grašys claims that “It is not the fines, but our awareness and responsibility that counts. Mistakes of one or another person, lack of care for our own and others‘ safety cause road accidents, which unfortunately end up with severe consequences”.