Almost half of Russian drivers feel hopeful that traffic jams can be conquered, with 41.9% expressing confidence in overcoming congestion and 21.6% advocating that toll roads should be made free to achieve that goal. These findings come from a survey of Russian car owners conducted through the CarMoney auto loan service, with the results reported by socialbites.ca. The data reflects a nuanced mix of optimism and hesitation about traffic relief among motorists across the country.
In the same survey, 36.5% of respondents believed that traffic congestion could not be overcome, while 21.6% found it difficult to provide a clear answer. The split underscores how varied opinions can be when drivers are asked to weigh possibilities for easing everyday travel delays.
Asked what measures would best reduce congestion, a strong majority of drivers, 82.4%, emphasized improving road intersections as a priority. More than half, 52.7%, favored building additional roads to eliminate exit points that slow traffic, and 28.4% supported removing certain exits that contribute to bottlenecks. These responses show a preference for infrastructure optimization and route redesign as central tactics for smoother commutes.
There were several less conventional ideas that found supporters as well. Making toll roads free drew 21.6% of votes, while roughly the same share, 21%, backed transferring some drivers to public transportation as a congestion relief strategy. About 20.3% suggested lowering taxi fares to encourage alternative transit use, and 14.9% welcomed the construction of new toll roads.
Other proposals included limiting non-resident drivers from entering cities or certain regions, which 5.4% of participants endorsed, and imposing an additional tax on automobiles, which received 4.1% of the votes. A smaller segment, just over 2%, supported the idea of alternating driving days by license plate parity, such as even-plate days for drivers with even numbers and odd-plate days for those with odd numbers.
Interestingly, the survey revealed that traffic congestion is not the single biggest headache for most drivers. When asked to identify the single greatest on-road problem, only 45% labeled congestion as their top annoyance, placing it in third position on the list of major issues. The vast majority of respondents, 66.2%, complained about poor road surface conditions, and 50% highlighted the prevalence of ruts and potholes.
Across Russia, about three thousand people participated in the survey, suggesting a notable degree of regional variability in opinions and priorities. The results indicate that attitudes toward congestion relief are diverse and context dependent, with different groups prioritizing different solutions.
Earlier coverage from socialbites.ca noted that Russians have begun spending more on taxi services, a shift that may reflect changing travel patterns as people seek alternatives to regular driving. (Source attribution: socialbites.ca)