Popular wisdom says: "There are two troubles in Russia - fools and roads." To agree or disagree with this popular expression is everyone's personal choice. But hardly anyone will argue with the fact that without good autobahns in the future such a huge country simply could not exist. It is the roads, or, as they are now commonly called, federal highways, that unite the fantastically huge territory of Russia into a single whole.
From Russian history
The road network existing in the country today was formed over several centuries, as the Russian Empire expanded territorially. The development of transport infrastructure continues to this day. And only clinical optimists can express satisfaction with its results. A significant part of roads in Russia does not correspond to the level necessary for the successful development of the country.
First of all, this applies to the vast expanses of Siberia and the Far East, where, as in previous times, instead of roads, directions prevail. And the centuries-old hopelessness of this situation itself makes us think that the current state of affairs can change only when toll roads are introduced in Russia. There is hardly a reasonable alternative to this solution. Currently, road construction is financed mainly by a tax that every vehicle owner pays to the state every year. But it does not allow in sufficient volume to accumulate the funds necessary for the construction and operation of such significant infrastructure facilities as interurban highways.
The first toll road in Russia
Good experience in the construction and operation of modern freeways has already been achieved. There is already a toll road in Russia; this is the federal highway M-4 Don, leading from the capital to the city of Rostov-on-Don and further towards the North Caucasus. This highway is characterized by a large volume of both freight and passenger traffic. So far, only four sites are paid for its entire duration. But this, as they say, is a pilot project. All paid sections on the federal highway M-4 Don have alternative traffic options between their start and end points. The presence of duplicate routes is a mandatory requirement when deciding to transfer a particular road to the toll category.
It is interesting to note that most of those who use the M-4 Don highway all the time have stopped thinking about finding ways to go around toll sites on duplicate routes. The choice in favor of toll roads is made by those who value their time and comfort more than the opportunity to save. In addition, detour alternative routes are always longer than direct ones. More fuel is spent on overcoming them, and the savings look very doubtful.
Unification of the road network
The basis of the modern road network of Russia is federal highways. These highways connect the capital of the country with all regional administrative centers. Their financing is carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The rest of the road network is ranked by regional and local status. The federal road system is an essential component of the overall technological infrastructure, providing communication between parts of a single country.
Any modernization and innovation in the principles of the approach to road construction can be carried out only by decision of the federal authorities. Therefore, toll on Russian roads begins to be introduced gradually on federal highways. Currently, it exists only in the European part of the country.
Financial aspects
Road construction requires significant investment. There is no objection to the simple fact that a kilometer of a modern multi-lane highway is very expensive. But to this we have to add the inevitable costs of arranging roadside infrastructure - bridges, overpasses, multi-level interchanges, side driveways and parking lots. To find the necessary financial resources for the construction of modern highways in a short time frame will only help the introduction of a system of tolls for the use of roads throughout Russia. In this case, the construction of roads is financed by everyone who drives them.
Climatic factors
The complexity of building transport infrastructure and maintaining its operability at the required level is largely compounded by the low temperatures that are characteristic of most of the Russian territory.
Large temperature differences lead to more intense destruction of the road surface compared to countries with a temperate climate. This further increases the cost of road construction in Russia. This primarily concerns the
regions of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.
Of the features of national psychology
It is no secret that the phrase “toll road in Russia” itself causes a sharp negative reaction among a significant part of its population. It’s not easy to convince people who have been accustomed for centuries to drive on roads for free that there is the most direct correlation between the lack of a board and the traditional view of Russian roads as the worst on the planet. That the only chance to gradually bring the country's road network into line with generally accepted international standards is to introduce tolls on the most significant highways.
A radical change in the existing situation can only be realized by the fact that the toll road in Russia is a good road. And there is no other way than the one that works successfully in most technologically advanced countries of the world. Of course, this is possible only on the condition that payment of toll roads in Russia will go specifically for their reconstruction and construction. And not to personal bank accounts of a narrow group of stakeholders.
World experience
Despite the uniqueness of Russia with its vast geographical expanses, this is not the first country in the world that is faced with the need to seek financial resources for the modernization and construction of road infrastructure. And all the world experience in road construction allows us to make a completely unambiguous conclusion that good roads exist primarily where you have to pay for travel on them.
What is characteristic, this principle works equally well in endless Canada and in microscopic Israel. In these very different countries, the freeways are of the same quality. Travel on them is paid.
Process started
A system of toll roads in Russia already exists. In addition to the four toll sections on the M-4 Don federal highway, from September 11, 2015, the M-11 highway section from the Moscow Ring Road to Sheremetyevo was paid. The length of the paid leg is 43 kilometers. In the same year, a section of the Western High-Speed Diameter near St. Petersburg also became paid. Toll roads in Russia for trucks appeared on November 15, 2015. This date marked the beginning of an irreversible process in the sphere of turnover of heavy vehicles.
So far, this applies only to vehicles whose weight exceeds twelve tons. Truck owners will only have to pay for driving along federal highways. The tariff is 3 rubles 75 kopecks per kilometer. The decision to introduce truck fares was made at the highest level. It was not canceled even despite significant social tension and protests by truckers. If we take into account that it is heavy trucks that cause the greatest damage to the road surface, then this decision is justified.