The system for placing kiosks on the streets of Moscow, introduced last summer, brought 194 million rubles ($6.6 million) to the city budget, according to Moscow department of trade and services deputy head Nikita Kuznetsov, Vedomosti reported
Under the plan, 9,500 year-round kiosks were installed. Most of them — 6,400 — simply remained where they were already located, but tenders were held for the placement of 3,100 of them.
Of the latter group, "2,767 tenders have already been held," a Moscow department of trade and services spokeswoman told The Moscow Times. "That is 87 percent."
"Previously, prefects — the heads of Moscow administrative districts — issued permits to kiosk owners annually," she said. Auction contracts are for three years.
Previously issued annual permits were invalidated to hold the auctions.
In addition, 7,200 kiosks are currently slated for removal and 3,500 have already been removed. The rest of them should be removed by July 1, 2012, the department representative said.
The Moscow architectural committee has approved a special combined bus stop and kiosk design to replace a variety of old designs. The committee will make a decision on every object individually, renovating some of them depending on their surroundings.
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