No-stop requirements: snowfall caused transportation collapse across the country

In Moscow, on the first working day after the holidays, residents could not get to work on time due to traffic jams. There were also dozens of streets in Saratov. A similar situation occurred in Vladivostok, where people were forced to choose hiking routes. Experts note that in Moscow, during the period of prolonged precipitation, snow removal equipment goes to work every four hours, and regional and local roads are more difficult — not all municipalities have the necessary reagents and equipment, as well as the means to purchase them.

Trams are stuck in Moscow

On the first working day after the New Year holidays, it was not easy for Muscovites to reach their destination — there were serious problems with land transport. For example, there was a large crowd of passengers near the Proletarskaya metro station in the morning, even after peak activity had subsided. They waited for the tram for half an hour. When two vehicles arrived at the bus stop at once, those who wanted to could hardly fit inside.

In one of the trams, the fare validator is out of order. At the same time, passengers still tried to pay in some way, fearing the inspectors.

— Suddenly the controller will come in, — the elderly woman tried to explain to the man who did not want to let her through to the device.

—Woman, the controllers won't fit in right now," he assured her.

Instead of the usual 15 minutes to Paveletsky railway station, the journey took twice as long. The situation at the train station was no better. Those who needed to change routes had to push passengers aside to get to the exit, and then jump over huge snowdrifts.

In the north of Moscow, trams also ran with significant delays in the morning — on Yandex Transport maps, for example, only one tram was visible on the route from the 27th tram to the eighth stop, and the pavilions were full of people waiting. The driver of one of the trams politely and calmly over the speakerphone asked people to get up more tightly, as "everyone needs to go to work," and passengers, squeezing into the crowded carriage, said: "Wow, just like in the 90s!".

At the next stop, as many more people tried to get on the tram. There were also the traditional phrases for that time, "If you don't go out, then let's trade with you." The pensioners who were standing next to the doors refused to leave, fearing that they would not enter later, and as a result, conflicts arose. There were also passengers-volunteer "vigilantes" who tried to help regulate the entrance with their fists, pushing those who had just entered, however, the passengers who broke into the tram quickly stopped them.

A resident of Korolev near Moscow told Izvestia that the utilities had cleaned the central streets of the city, but it was almost impossible to leave the courtyards by car. The city administration reported that the services are working in an enhanced mode to eliminate the consequences of the snowfall as soon as possible. First of all, they clean central highways, entrances to schools, kindergartens and hospitals, and public transport stops. In addition, utilities are carrying out deicing treatment of roads.

In Lyubertsy, in some areas of the city, buses could not reach stops due to abandoned cars - drivers could not pass and abandoned their cars in the middle of the streets. Hundreds of people were queuing to board the bus.

In Moscow, it is better to use public transport in the evening, the Moscow Government Traffic Management Center told Izvestia. If you can't avoid traveling by private car, then you should plan your departure time after 20:00.

"During the evening commute hours, local traffic difficulties are expected in the central part of the city, on the TTK, MKAD, and on outbound highways heading towards the region," the data center warned. "Traffic may be affected by a decrease in average speed due to weather conditions, road repairs and minor accidents."

What other regions are facing problems?

Serious traffic jams have occurred in Petrozavodsk, Kaluga, Tver and Krasnodar. For example, the airport in Krasnodar temporarily suspended flight services due to heavy snowfall.

In Saratov, half of the monthly precipitation rate fell over the past day, which caused ten-point traffic jams in the city in the morning. All available resources have been mobilized in the region to clear roads, and the services have deployed more than one and a half thousand pieces of equipment, said Roman Busargin, the governor of the region.

"All heads of the relevant blocks of the regional government, district administrations and subordinate institutions have been transferred to round-the-clock operation. Everyone is personally responsible for the assigned direction," the governor said.

Free admission was introduced in schools and kindergartens in Vladivostok on the first working day. There was also a heavy snowfall in the region in the last days of the holidays, and the utilities did not have time to clean up the consequences of the disaster. Residents complained on social media that all directions of traffic in the city were blocked. People were forced to reach their destinations on foot.

During a meeting of the operations staff, the mayor of the city, Konstantin Shestakov, said that it would take up to five days to eliminate the consequences of the snowfall.

How to avoid collapses

Similar problems on the roads due to bad weather were recorded in the winter of 2023-2024, Yulia Antonova, executive director of the National Association for Winter Maintenance of Infrastructure and Transport Facilities, reminded Izvestia. After that winter, the regions took additional measures to prevent such situations.

So, they changed the directions and traffic patterns, organized additional bypass roads and pockets, and made gaps in the solid barrier fence. Currently, preventive treatment of federal roads is not provided, everything happens only after snowfall. At the same time, preventive measures would help avoid collapses, the expert believes.

— It is necessary to use technological progress, take into account weather forecasts, make processing decisions and apply anti—icing materials proactively, - the expert added.

Svetlana Razvorotneva, deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing, noted that regions usually cope with the Russian winter, but when record precipitation falls, disruptions are inevitable.

"Unfortunately, the speed and frequency of fixing these problems largely depends on which road we are talking about, who is responsible for this road, and in which region it is located," she said.

In Moscow, during prolonged snowfalls, vehicles take to the roads every four hours, removing snow and treating surfaces with anti-icing materials. It is more difficult with regional and local roads, because, as a rule, many municipalities do not have the necessary reagents and equipment, as well as the money to purchase them, the expert explained.

In most regions, certain departments or companies are responsible for certain lands, and they are the ones who should clean up this territory.

— Moscow, contrary to the housing code, has decided that the city is cleaned by a single organization. In every district, this is a "Tenant", regardless of who manages a particular house. Moscow pays extra for this activity,— Svetlana Razvorotneva explained.

In addition, the salary of janitors has been raised in the capital — now it is about 70 thousand rubles. However, it's hard work, and sometimes there aren't enough employees. To do this, they hire workers from near and far abroad, including from India and Cuba.

According to Svetlana Razvorotneva, if the roads are not cleaned, residents can leave a complaint. Such a system works well in Moscow and the Moscow region, but it is not well-established in other regions.

Where to expect unfavorable weather

The weather in Moscow will gradually improve, said Tatiana Pozdnyakova, a specialist at the Meteonosti news agency. However, snowfalls with fairly strong winds are likely to fall again in the south of the European part of Russia.

— Unfavorable weather is possible in Sochi, in the Stavropol Territory, throughout the Lower Volga, in particular, in Astrakhan. Icy conditions, snowfalls, and squally wind increases are possible there. And there will be rains on the coast of the Caspian Sea — a full range of winter and not—so-winter weather phenomena," Tatyana Pozdnyakova told Izvestia.

The most unfavorable weather is expected in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. There, it will be determined by a cyclone: rain can change to freezing rain, and then to snow. Such weather may come to the Irkutsk region, the meteorologist said.

— Pacific cyclones are maintaining difficult weather conditions on the coast of the Khabarovsk Territory, the Magadan Region, and Kamchatka in the coming days. A full range of adverse events is expected there. From icy conditions to heavy snowfall, wind and blizzard, — said Tatiana Pozdnyakova.

It will snowfall in Kamchatka for almost the entire week, said Alexander Shuvalov, head of the Meteo forecasting center. Heavy precipitation is also expected in the Caucasus and the Kuban. Such weather will increase the avalanche-prone situation in the Caucasus mountains.

— As for the European territory of Russia, heavy precipitation will not affect it, and frosts do not affect the road situation so much, — said the meteorologist.

Frosts, which may affect the situation on the roads to a certain extent, are expected in the south of Siberia.