Russia : the transport sector

This transport policy note examining the Russian transport system finds that it must focus more on overall coordination among different transport modes, and help reduce imbalances among regions. This will be accomplished through improving the legal framework, monitoring compliance with new rules of competition and access to infrastructure, developing safety and environmental standards, providing for safety against terrorism and crime, and ensuring the provision of minimum transportation services to all the population and regions of the country. The report recommends developing and improving rail and road transport links to the European union and rail links to China and the republic of Korea to help increase trade; coordinating the competition between rail and road services to meet demand; make more effective use of subsidies and evolve new structures to ensure the continuation of viable and affordable urban public transport; linking cities, towns, and communities with certain population sizes by road networks; upgrading trade corridors to international standards; outsourcing road maintenance and making transport procurement more transparent and open to competition; reviewing all road design standards, compatible with vehicles in operation; upon receiving the outcome of the road safety review, implement changes focusing on driver safety, ad driver and vehicle regulation to reduce accidents; invest at least RUR700 billion in railways to maintain the existing stock of fixed assets; provide core urban public transport services through long-term contracts for selected routes or in sections of the city; implement traffic management measures to make public transport more efficient and improve traffic flow; and improve long-distance land access to ports; and continue to simplify trade facilitation procedures.