New Year Traffic Trends on Russia’s M-12 Vostok Toll Road
Russians have increasingly chosen road trips for travel, a point echoed in reports attributed to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin via a Telegram channel. The trend signals a shift toward long weekend and holiday journeys by car as families and travelers seek flexible, self-directed itineraries.
During the New Year holidays, traffic on the M-12 Vostok highway rose sharply, doubling compared with typical weekday levels. The period around the holidays brought not just more trips but longer average routes and a higher total distance traveled, underscoring a preference for extended road journeys over other modes of transport.
From December 29 to January 8, the number of trips on the M-12 exceeded 822,600, a 12% increase from the same period a year earlier, according to Khusnullin. In addition, drivers collectively traveled about 125 million kilometers during this window, a jump of 39% year over year. The average trip length reached approximately 151 kilometers, marking a 23% rise from the previous period.
The data point to a clear driver preference for modern toll roads that offer speed and comfort. High-speed toll corridors are helping to shorten travel times, while the M-12 provides convenience through a network of multifunctional road service zones. There are 24 such zones along the highway now, according to Khusnullin.
Furthermore, Khusnullin highlighted that Avtodor roads maintain stable mobile communications and that an emergency commissariat service operates around the clock to handle unforeseen situations, ensuring continuous support for travelers.
Citation: Official remarks attributed to Marat Khusnullin regarding New Year travel trends on the M-12 Vostok highway and the performance of toll road infrastructure. This commentary reflects observed increases in traffic, journey length, and overall travel distance across the holiday period. It also notes the availability of service zones and continuous emergency support to travelers.