| Moscow's residential areas will be connected to the center by river trams On an unseasonably snowy weekend, the Capital Shipping Company (SSK) decided to open a new navigation season on the barely melted Moscow River. The solemn ceremony, which launched passenger navigation along the capital’s main waterway, took place last Friday in the Southern River Port, not far from Kolomenskoye. The rivermen guessed right - April 22, as ordered, turned out to be a sunny and relatively warm day, so the first passengers of the ships freely set off on their first voyage along the Moscow River this year.
And yet, even in the light of the sun, the opening ceremony of the season itself, it must be said, was not very inspiring. Officials from the Ministry of Transport, walking decorously along the pier and actively communicating with the sailors. A military band playing the Russian anthem, and fiery speeches from management and high-ranking guests with the wish of “increasing labor efficiency.” The ceremonial raising of the stern flags and shouts of “Hurray!” It seems that all this seriously pleased only the crowd of onlookers, who, pushing and knocking down everything in their path, rushed onto the ships to have a free ride for the first and last time this year.
Traditionally, the main passengers of water buses in the capital are tourists. This year they are given a choice of route. If previously almost the only tourist flight was a trip from the Novospassky Bridge to the Kievsky Station, then this year city guests will be able to take an hour and a half circular walk on the water from the Park of Culture to the Sparrow Hills. However, according to SSK General Director Mikhail Balezin, the line connecting Kyiv Station and Novospassky Bridge will be the most popular. It will be served by 15 river buses. Moreover, the ticket price will remain the same. Adults will have to pay 180 rubles for this pleasure both on weekdays and on weekends. Children will be charged half as much.
The highlight of the new season should be the lines connecting the city center with the residential areas by water. Water trams, it seems, intend to regain their full right to be called urban public transport. According to Mr. Balezin, this year SSK opened a number of new routes. In particular, the ships will serve everyone who wants to get to Kolomenskoye from Saburov, Maryin and Brateev. Residents of the north of the capital, if desired, will also be able to bypass kilometer-long traffic jams along the Moscow River. This year new ships will run from Strogin to the city center. Mr. Balezin also recalled that the river crossing from the Northern River Station to Northern Tushino is still operating.
According to Mikhail Balezin, travel conditions on the river will also change for the better - by the new season, all 44 ships belonging to SSK have undergone reconstruction. “We have invested a huge amount of effort and money to re-equip and modernize the river fleet,” said the head of the company. Despite the late opening of navigation, CCM leaders hope that part of the costs will be recouped. In any case, river workers plan to transport 100 thousand more passengers this year than in previous years, when passenger traffic per season on the Moscow River is about a million people. Anna ShPAK |
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