MOSCOW, August 13 - RAPSI, Diana Gutsul. The Moscow Dorogomilovsky District Court combined the claims launched by a group of Moscow residents in Ramenki district into a single class action suit. The suit revolves around the construction of a metro station.

The defense submitted a motion to combine the lawsuits last Monday.

According to the defense, a similar lawsuit by a resident of the Ramenki District is pending at the Dorogimolovsky District Court, and given that the subject of the dispute and the individuals involved are similar in both cases, they should be combined into a single case.

The plaintiffs were against the idea of a class action suit, because they believe it would further stall the process. However, the judge satisfied the appeal and set the hearing into the case for September 4.

"We would have been glad to have the metro line 30 years ago, but now we are totally against it. We simply don't need it. There are few people living in that area. Everyone mostly uses cars, and ground transport works perfectly. Not to mention that this area is a cultural heritage site," Irina Selyukova said in describing the position of the plaintiffs, to the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

The claimants live in close proximity to the area where construction has been progressing since April. The claimants state in their lawsuit that the preparation work for the project is being held at the park, which is a cultural heritage site, and that the planned route of the metro line contradicts Moscow's General Plan and project permits.
In total, seven suits are involved in the court hearing, and several thousand people have signed petitions relating to the case.