Penza, 6 August 2018. PenzaNews. Activists of the regional committee of the Lenin Young Communist League launched a campaign against the increase of fare in public transport of Penza in connection with the adoption of new maximum tariffs according to which trolleybus fare may grow up to 20 roubles starting August 16, that in buses – up to 21 roubles, in fixed-run taxis – up to 23 roubles.

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On Monday, August 6, Komsomol members held one-person protests in front of the building in Vtoroy Vinogradny Proezd street, where the office for tariff regulation and energy saving of the Penza region headed by Natakia Klak is located.

Secretaries of the regional committee of the Lenin Young Communist League Alexander Rogozhkin, who is also a member of the youth parliament under the Legislative Assembly of the region, and Vladislav Tolstosheev took turns standing on the porch holding a banner reading "Mrs. Klak, how to start riding the bicycle?" and a red flag.

For greater clarity they installed a bicycle in front of the building.

As Alexander Rogozhkin told PenzaNews, in the first half of the day one-person protests had been held in front of the Penza city hall, where the City Duma is located, and at the central market, where according to him "the transport situation is the clearest".

Responding to a question whether the protest campaign is premature, since only maximum tariffs were adopted and not all market participants announced fare increase, the leader of Penza Komsomol members stated that there was no doubt in the upcoming fare increase.

"The increase of maximum rates actually means a free hand for carriers and the municipality to do so. That is, roughly speaking, they need legal justification from the state for this. Mrs. Klak gives such a justification. I think the fares will be increased starting August 16. They will be," the interlocutor said.

He added that the fares in Penza can remain the same only in case governor Ivan Belozertsev publicly opposes it and "raises his voice" at those who are responsible for the issue.

"He will not do this as it is not an elections time," Alexander Rogozhkin noted.