Heavy snowfall paralyzes traffic, sparks 8-point jams in Moscow
Due to a powerful snowstorm that has blanketed the region, traffic on roads in Moscow and the surrounding area has been paralyzed. Since morning, massive traffic jams have formed, with traffic estimated at 8 points, according to data from Yandex Maps.
The Department of Transport (deptrans) reports difficult traffic conditions at the following locations:
on the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD) near Volokolamskoye Highway;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Besedinskoye Highway;
on the exit from the inner side of the MKAD onto Leningradskoye Highway heading out of the city;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Ostashkovskoye Highway;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Dmitrovskoye Highway;
on the inner side of the MKAD near Polyany Street;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Kommunarskoye Highway;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Rublevskoye Highway;
on the outer side of the MKAD near Solomeya Neris Street.
The cause of the gridlock is trucks that have gotten stuck in the snow. Drivers have been urged to avoid personal car trips and switch to public transport.
Drivers stuck in the jams continue to complain. Many are running late for work due to the dense traffic. The situation on the roads is further complicated by local road accidents.
«Ninety percent of people on the roads are in front-wheel-drive cars and either can«t get moving or don»t understand stopping distances and are going 20 km/h. If you can«t drive in winter, stay home! Why create such problems for others? They warned for three days that there would be snowfall,» a reader of MSK1.RU fumed.
Against the backdrop of the snowfall, taxi prices have also soared. Yandex explained the surge pricing by saying that driving on the streets is more difficult during snowfall and vehicle speeds are lower than usual. As a result, trips take more time. Furthermore, the number of people wanting a taxi has increased significantly, while the number of drivers has, conversely, decreased.
«This is a temporary and necessary measure to attract more drivers to the platform and thus normalize prices,» explained Yandex Taxi.
The Department of Transport clarified that price increases are not being observed at major hubs. Nearly as many taxis were operating this morning as were at the same time a week ago under normal weather conditions.
Mostransavto warned that buses may arrive with deviations from the schedule. Crowds have formed at some bus stops in the capital and the region.
«It seems easier to just walk,» passengers lament.
Due to the bad weather, temporary restrictions have been introduced at Moscow«s Sheremetyevo Airport. We reported on the current flight situation in a separate publication.
All current information about the severe weather is being collected in our online report. Also, take a look at the footage of the aftermath of the heavy snowfall in Moscow.
