Balloon protesters are latest to demand action on potholes in roads

The unidentified men are planting balloons in potholes which, they claim, are large enough to be filled under official rules for such road hazards. And they are calling on others to join their direct action by urging the authorities to fill holes deeper than 5 centimetres and longer than 60 cm (evidently the official standard for a pothole). 

'Let's imagine that the city administration doesn't know about the existence of the potholes on the city roads and we need to help the officials to spot the problem,' they explain in a video.

'You can take the ruler or tape and measure the potholes which seem to you deep and dangerous.' A hole bigger than the official size should be reported to a special department in the city.

'Our experience shows that such a complaints work. The city services react. So let's all be involved in this and make our city better. We want to make our appeal right now and we want to add a positive moment to these holes. We are putting the warning triangles and balloons to make the holes visible.' 

It is not the first time Omsk's roads have attracted direct action protests. So-called 'road fairy' Veronika Bobrus, 26, a florist, last year went out into the streets to make her own do-it-yourself repairs. 

'I got fed up with the state of our roads. I keep hitting potholes, so I thought I'd just go and fill them,' she said. But the authorities reacted badly warning her she could be accused of damaging the roads with her repairs. 

In Tomsk three years ago, locals planted artificial flowers in potholes to draw attention of officials to the problems.