RF Transport Ministry starts drafting a bill to divide work between providers of pilotage services

The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has started drafting a bill that will let develop regulations including an e-queue mechanism for dividing work between providers of pilotage services operating at seaports (excluding seaports with a sole provider of pilotage services). According to the Federal Portal for legal information, public discussion of the initiative will last till 21 December 2017. The Law is expected to come into force in December 2018. The text of the bill has not been published yet.

As of today, RF legislation does not set limits for the number of pilotage service providers at seaports. Without a regulation obliging the companies provide pilotage services to all vessels some providers work only with large foreign ships since pilotage fee is much higher for them as compared with the fee for small Russian vessels.