City Hall has announced a 35 million ruble ($1 million) tender for a PR campaign in support of paid parking, introduced in the city center on June 1, The Village reported.
The Transportation Department, which placed the tender, will organize online conferences and radio shows, inviting road experts and guaranteeing the participation of celebrities.
Within the next two weeks, the department will receive a list of loyal journalists and bloggers selected for involvement in the promotion drive, which will run through December.
“Within the publicity campaign we will inform people about ways of making payments for a parking place, explain rules of using the parking areas [for ordinary motorists] and special categories of people, such as residents [of districts within the Boulevard Ring],” the department said.
Paid parking within Moscow’s Boulevard Ring was seen as a measure to reduce the number of cars in the city center and encourage people to use the public transport.
Though many drivers opposed the idea, most observers agreed that it was an inevitable move in the fight with the city’s chronic traffic jams.
One hour of parking costs 50 rubles (close to $2), with concessions for those who live inside the Boulevard Ring.
More than 66 million rubles ($2 million) in parking fees have been collected since the first pilot project was introduced last November, according to the Transportation Department.
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