Moscow traffic fouls footballers

 

More than three million cars are registered in Moscow

 

Traffic jams in Moscow forced footballers from the city's Spartak club to abandon their team bus and take public transport to a match on Tuesday. The players and coaching staff had to run to a nearby metro station to catch a train to their Champions League fixture with Inter Milan.

Moscow police blamed the traffic jams on a number of factors, including fans on their way to the match.

The team lost the match 1-0, and are now likely to exit the competition.

The traffic jam was caused by a combination of factors, according to Moscow police.

The first snowfall of the season, the large number of foreign delegations in the city and the special requirements they place on traffic all contributed to hours of gridlock on Moscow's crowded roads.

Moscow traffic police frequently close roads to allow VIPs to pass.

More than three million cars are registered in the city - a number that is increasing by 10% a year.

Free travel

After the match Spartak's coach Vladimir Fedotov thanked metro staff on Russian television for letting the team travel for free.

"One of the reasons why we started badly in the first half was that Moscow today was gridlocked," he said.

"On the way to the stadium one of the Spartak fans told us that there was a traffic jam in the stadium area with people waiting hours to move.

"So we rushed about 2km to the nearest metro station.

"Thanks to the metro workers who allowed us to get in quickly - and for free - we were able to get to the stadium in time for the kick-off."

I'd be agreeable to roadtesting the next congestion charge on the russians. Let's see if they like toll roads.