Zabaikalye to install dummy cameras and traffic lights on federal roads

The Zabaikalye Highway Administration (Uprdor «Zabaikalye») held an auction for the installation of dummy photo-video recording cameras and traffic lights on federal roads in Zabaikalye, according to the government procurement portal on January 25.

Russian legislation allows the installation of dummies alongside working traffic violation recording cameras. The purpose of the dummies is to remind drivers to follow the rules.

The auction documentation states that 38 dummies will be installed: 18 on the Chita-Zabaikalsk highway, 11 on Chita-Khabarovsk, and 9 on the Chita-Irkutsk highway. They, like real cameras, must be accompanied by appropriate road signs. Most of the units will have stationary power supply, while a smaller number will be autonomous.

The initial maximum contract price was 20.2 million rubles (approximately $202,000 at current rates), and the winner was a participant who offered to do the work for 18.8 million rubles (approximately $188,000). The name of the winning company is not yet specified in the documentation.

Photo-video recording systems for traffic violations became operational on federal highways in Zabaikalye in September 2025 after a long break. Cameras installed in 2022 were later dismantled—a contractor needed to be found for their maintenance. In March 2025, when Chita.Ru published an article about the concession agreement with Rostelecom for camera maintenance in Chita ending, the photo-video recording systems on federal roads still were not working.

Previously, it was reported that Zabavtodor concluded a contract for the installation of 56 stationary photo-video recording systems for traffic violations in Zabaikalye. For nearly 450 million rubles (approximately $4.5 million at current rates), this is being handled by Rostelecom, which won an open competition. In one article, we collected all the locations and addresses where the new systems will appear.