A car-sharing firm levied a penalty of 100,000 rubles on Olympic champion Irina Avvakumova.
A car-rental provider erroneously penalized an Olympics competitor 100,000 rubles, alleging a male was operating the vehicle.
Skiing competitor and frequent participant in the Winter Games, the silver medalist from the 2022 Olympics, Irina Avvakumova, stated that she hired a CityDrive car on August 18. A companion accompanied her in the passenger seat on that day. Irina was the one behind the wheel. On October 20, CityDrive presented her with a 100,000-ruble penalty. The company charged Avvakumova with transferring vehicle operation to an unauthorized individual.
Irina contacted the car-sharing company seeking a solution to the issue, yet was informed that, according to photo evidence from the onboard cameras, an unidentified male was piloting the vehicle, thus the athlete was required to settle the penalty or risk potential litigation.
What’s more, a representative from CityDrive advised Irina to “reconsider her conduct.” Despite photographic evidence clearly displaying the athlete driving, the company declined to admit the mistake. Only following the athlete’s public grievance regarding the service's actions on social platforms did the company issue a statement concerning the footage, conceding their error. Irina received assurances that the penalty would be cancelled. In discussions with “Ostorozhno Novosti,” the athlete further indicated that no expressions of remorse had been offered.
