Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the federal government to stagger working hours for state and government agencies to ease Moscow's traffic problems, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Before December 10 the government is to submit proposals on working hours for state and municipal agencies and organizations "to reduce the load on the [city's] transport system."
Medvedev also told the Moscow city government to develop and approve a large-scale parking construction program for the capital.
The number of pedestrian crossings and underpasses should be increased, he said.
Medvedev said in late October the elimination of Moscow's notorious traffic jams was a "viability test" for the federal government and a key to making the capital a world financial hub.
"Our ability to solve this problem is not just a challenge for Sergei Sobyanin, who is the mayor, but for the whole country," Medvedev said. "This is a test of the authorities' viability."
Moscow should also set an example to other Russian cities in dealing with traffic problems, the president said, adding that this applied even to cities with populations of less than 1 million.
A special coordination council headed by Transport Minister Igor Levitin will be set up to develop and improve road infrastructure in Moscow and the surrounding region.
Sobyanin has put forward three strategies for solving Moscow's traffic problems: increasing the number of parking places, developing public transport, and road construction.
The chronic lack of parking places in Moscow means drivers are often forced to park on the edges and sidewalks of the already busy downtown roads, adding to the traffic chaos. A new 1,410-place car park is being built next to the capital's Belorussky railway station, where traffic problems are particularly bad.
MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti)
