Cameras aimed at catching overzealous drivers have proved a huge success on Moscow streets.
In less than a week, the cameras caught 2,000 road offences, which equates to more than 780,000 rubles worth of fines.
The majority of cameras are located near bus lanes and on the Third Ring Road, on which speeding is commonplace.
Starting October 1, anyone caught speeding is sent a photo and fine by mail. The cameras are also used to record other offenses, such as driving in the bus lane. Fines for traffic violations are as high as 5,000 rubles.
Drivers hope that the new cameras will work properly. This past July, a faulty speed camera in the Moscow region landed a lot of drivers in trouble – it had been inventing people’s speeds.
This has resulted in a number of fines being incorrectly issued. One senior, for example, complained after being fined for allegedly racing his Lada at 200 kilometers per hour.
Other locals say they received speeding tickets for being stuck in traffic jams.
City Hall, meanwhile, is also planning to install an intelligent traffic-flow control system.
Sixty-three “smart” traffic lights will be rolled out in a bid to ease Moscow’s congestion woes. The new lights are able to monitor car numbers and speeds and adapt their activity accordingly.
If the experiment is a success, smart traffic lights will replace old ones across the capital.