The total length of traffic jams in Moscow on Wednesday evening has reached 2,850 km, which is equal to the distance between the Russian capital and Siberia's Novosibirsk, an analyst at the Yandex.Probki online traffic portal told RIA Novosti.
Yandex.Probki, which monitors the traffic situation in Moscow using a scale of one to ten, estimated Wednesday's traffic at 8-9 points.
"According to Yandex.Probki data, the second half of December has been the most difficult period for Moscow drivers in recent years," analyst Leonid Mednikov said.
In mid-December, Muscovites rush to shopping malls to buy New Year gifts. People from neighboring towns and regions also arrive in the capital to shop as the Soviet-era belief that the best goods can be bought only in Moscow is still alive in the Russian minds.
New Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin pledged to eliminate Moscow's notorious traffic jams. President Dmitry Medvedev has said he will personally oversee the efforts.
MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)
