Russia Approves Unified Rules for Delivery Robots
The Ministry of Economic Development, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Protective Service have approved draft regulations for delivery robots, or rovers. The document has been submitted to the government after revisions.
More than 1,000 such devices are already delivering goods in several regions of Russia, all of them operated by Yandex. Their movement is currently regulated only by regional legislation.
Under the new rules, a rover must travel on a bicycle lane at no more than 25 km/h. Where no bicycle lane is available, it must use the sidewalk at a speed of no more than 10 km/h. Rovers will be prohibited from using sidewalks narrower than one meter, but they will be allowed to enter buildings and use elevators.
A separate procedure is предусмотрен for minor accidents that do not result in damage to equipment or harm to people's health: if neither party has any claims, they may leave the scene without further proceedings.
The rules will apply in 35 regions, and the number of rovers is expected to increase to 12,000 over the next three years.
