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A featherweight, transparent plastic coin will become the new currency to enter Moscow's Metro after Nov. 1, according to Metro officials.
The simple new coin, which would not be out of place in a child's board game, is considerably cheaper to make than the current metal token that has been used for the past year, Metro officials say.
No increase in the 1 ruble fare has been announced, and despite inflation and a cash-strapped city government, fares aren't expected to increase soon, said Yury Ostrovsky, deputy chief of the Transportation and Communication Directorate.
"A 3-rubles fare will not save the situation because the prices are growing day by day", said Ostrovsky.
The Metro system operates at substantial cost to the government, with expenses about four times higher than income from passenger fares, according to Dmitry Gayev, deputy director of the Moscow Metro.
The new coins will cost Moscow Metro slightly less than a ruble each to produce, compared to 2. 65 rubles each for the existing coins.
All 2, 000 turnstiles will be replaced to accommodate the new coins, which will bring the total cost of the project to 45 million rubles Gayev said.
For two weeks, both plastic and metal tokens will be used at the turnstiles, with the current model phased out by Nov. 15.
Until inflation negated the value of Russian money, kopeck coins were used in the Metro system.
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