1. Traffic in Moscow will soon be monitored from space via the global navigation satellite network. Each car will be equipped with GPS enabling the traffic police to keep an eye on traffic jams, car towers and other maintenance machines, hunt down criminals and help policemen.
Apart from that, three balloons and two blimps will fly above Russia’s capital to serve the same purpose.
2. The Third Circle Road will soon be equipped with electronic monitoring system which is being developed by the German-based Siemens company. The project is worth 27m euro and is scheduled to be completed by end of 2006.
3. The State Duma, Russian lower chamber of parliament, has recently worked out a bill to cut the number of people eligible to install special signs on their vehicles. Fines will be also imposed on those using fake signs.
4. A poll on the cost of taxi services conducted by Abarus Market Research the price for one kilometer is slightly different in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Moscow one kilometer will cost around 10-12 roubles and in St. Petersburg the same distance will run into 7 roubles.
An average hour trip round the city is estimated at 400-600 roubles. Taxi services are provided by some 100-250 companies in Moscow operating a fleet of 3,000-3,500 cars. Up to 80-90% of transportation services in Moscow are carried out by private drivers who do not pay any taxes. The capital’s taxi market is estimated at $500-600m a year, with the possibility to grow to $1bn
5. Furthermore, Moscow is expected to get new logistics centres for foodstuffs and industrial products. Each spot will cover around 3-4 hectare.
6. Some Russian ports may be turned into a new type of special economic zones. The possible candidates are ports in Ust-Luga, Murmansk, St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk. The benefits are the duty free imports of construction materials, equipment for the maintenance, loading and storage works. Excise duties will be dropped for the delivery of fuel and lubricants.
By Alexander Shein
Add to favorite
