Share

Vod a jam! 190km Russia gridlock

MOSCOW, Russia - The Russian government has admitted that road services should be better prepared after a 190km horror traffic jam involving more than 4000 trucks paralysed a key highway.

Officials said traffic on the M-10 freeway north of Moscow (which connects Moscow with St Petersburg.) had been moving normally again since the early hours of Monday, but acknowledged more needed to be done to prevent a repeat of the problems.

Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov stated the following at a government meeting: 

"I ask that conclusions are made and the highway is properly prepared as winter has only just started. What happened is a good lesson for all the services. They need to work on the roads and not in their warm offices."

STATIONARY TRUCKS

Thousands of drivers waited for hours in stationary trucks on Sunday, 2nd Dec 2012, in temperatures of -5C.Officials claimed that they had been given enough provisions but Puchkov admitted this had not always been the case.

“We had problems from the point of view of the highway services and ensuring that drivers had food, water and medication.” Puchkov had further added that systems of keeping the drivers informed were not ready to be implemented.

190KM STANDSTILL


According to the interior ministry; the traffic jam extended to 190km and involved more than 4000 trucks.

The traffic jam was caused by a heavy snowfall - unusually severe for early winter - late on Friday and was further complicated when the authorities manoeuvred a snow plough through the vehicles to clear the road.

Traffic police said average speeds returned to the normal 80km/h after the vehicles started moving at 2.30am on Monday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE