Latvia sends automobiles seized from drunk drivers to assist Ukraine battle effort

The first of lots of of automobiles confiscated by Latvian authorities from drunk drivers have been donated to Ukraine, the place Riga hopes they may assist Kyiv with its battle efforts.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 10, 2023 09:02 IST

A basic view of a trailer loaded with autos to ship to Ukraine, which have been confiscated from drunk drivers, in Riga, Latvia March 8, 2023. (Reuters picture)

By India Today World Desk: Latvia has donated lots of of automobiles confiscated from drunk drivers which were increase in authorities impound tons to the Ukrainian navy and hospitals.

The nation started seizing automobiles from closely drunk drivers this yr, and 7 automobiles have been pushed in a snowstorm onto a trailer and now are destined for Ukraine.

The donations have been made below a brand new scheme designed to assist the battle effort in Ukraine.

Eight seized autos left a automobile pound within the capital, Riga, on Wednesday and are resulting from cross the border quickly. It is the primary convoy to be despatched below the plan, authorised by the Latvian parliament final month.

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The eight autos have been handed over to the Agendum group to ship these automobiles to Ukraine’s devastated cities and frontlines. From February to May 2022, the group stated they delivered over 900 autos to Ukraine; and have now equipped 1,200 in complete.

Late final yr, Latvia modified the legislation and 200 automobiles have been taken from drivers discovered with blood alcohol ranges over 0.15% in two months within the Baltic nation of 1.9 million individuals.

“It’s actually very scary when you realise how many cars are driving around with drunk drivers,” Reuters quoted Reinis Poznaks, founding father of the NGO often called Twitter Convoy which has been tasked by the federal government to ship the autos to Ukraine.

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Latvia has among the many worst charges of consuming and driving in Europe, in keeping with public broadcaster LSM, with an estimated 3,500 instances a yr, studies BBC. The change within the legislation led to a surge in confiscations that crammed state kilos in Latvia in a matter of weeks.

As a consequence, authorities pledged handy over two dozen automobiles every week to Twitter Convoy, a Latvian charity that sends donated autos to Ukraine.

The first eight automobiles had a mixed worth of about €18,500 (£16,500), in keeping with Latvian web site Delfi. One proprietor had left a Russian flag pinned on his seized car, Reuters reported.

According to BBC, a couple of quarter of Latvia’s inhabitants are ethnic Russians and Latvia moved quick after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to ban dozens of internet sites assessed as disseminating Kremlin propaganda.

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Published On:

Mar 10, 2023