Traffic in Moscow

Factoid: there are 7 roundabouts in the whole of Moscow.
Driving in Moscow is traumatic.
The congestion is terrible and most journeys take at least twice as long as they should. Car ownership has expanded faster than the roads have have been able to be developed to cope. Added to this is the bad driving style of the great majority of drivers - there is no lane discipline and there are two speeds: flat out and stop! The consequence of this is that there are bottlenecks and a lot more exhaust fumes than need be.
There is a constant programme of improvements of junctions and carriageways but it is never enough.
Fuel is 40p a litre and fuel economy is not a consideration.
I am not a fan of urban drivers in 4x4s but there is an excuse for the Muscovite: Road surfaces can be very uneven, snow and ice is a problem for 6 months of the year and many people have 'dachas' out in the countryside at the end of long unpaved tracks.
There is though a macho attitude amongst the owners of these vehicles and they 'bully' other car drivers. Many cars and 4x4s have blacked out windows - sad eh?
There is a single fine for speeding of 14 GBP and no 'points' system so there is no incentive to stick to speed limits. I have seen BMW's/Mercs travelling at speeds around 80 mph on the 'Garden Ring, close to the centre. There are no speed cameras.
Cars regularly shoot through red lights and anticipate the change to green. This makes crossing the road at traffic lights quite hazardous. Going through a red light attracts a fine of 12 GBP... so why worry?
There is 'zero tolerance' of drink driving (I am not sure about the penalties).
The public transport system is very good with the Metro, buses, trolley buses and mini-buses abounding. There is an attitude though of 'why should I use public transport if I have the convenience of my own car'.

Car ownership still has a feeling of novelty about it here and they all drive like kids with their first car and the girlfriend in the passenger seat. I don't hold out much hope of the Moscow motorist emerging from his adoloscence in the near future

Do svedanya,
Graham

Factoid: Street parking is free. There are no meters and no ticket machines. There are some roadside parking restrictions.