TASS press center hosted an online press conference dedicated to the presentation of the study "Improving the environmental friendliness of the transport sector in world big-cities".
Authors of research are vice-rector of MEPhI, Professor Nikolay Kargin, dean of the Faculty of Business Informatics and Integrated Systems Management of MEPhI, Professor Alexander Putilov and research scientist of Laboratory for Specific Prevention of Infectious Diseases of the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology Kizhalum Khametova. You can see their report here.
Vehicles produce about 80% of the total amount of harmful substances in big-cities. According to the forecasts of the World Bank, the number of cars in the world will double and reach 2 billion by 2050. In 2020, 7.7 million cars are registered in Moscow.
As explained by scientists, the high level of vehicle-to-population ratio has become one of the most serious problems in the world. Experts predict a further increase in population car-dependency. At the same time, they express concerns about environmental degradation. After all, cars are responsible for more than half of the pollutants in the atmosphere, they write.
The authors note that one of the ways to reduce the impact on the environment is the transition to electric vehicles; its level of gas emissions lower than produced by internal combustion engines.
Autonomous vehicles have more advantages than electric cars and buses; it excludes the human factor that is one of the causes of road traffic accidents. The calculation of the speed and driving mode by artificial intelligence eliminates unnecessary braking, which is the cause of congestion. However, the time for large-scale implementation has not yet come. In big cities like Moscow, tests of autonomous transport are still being carried out only in test mode, the study notes.
Scientists believe that the environmental situation depends on traffic jams. They called an important measure — digitization of the business. Online platforms and apps can provide up-to-date information and plan the best routes. In Moscow, there is a Unified Transport Portal. The digitization of business <...> allows reducing the frequency of travel by providing online services; it replaces purchases in real stores, visits to restaurants. Switching of companies <...> to remote work mode and using video conferencing helps to reduce traffic, says the work.
Another global trend is "using instead of ownership", examples of which are car sharing and carpooling. The development of car sharing in Moscow is one of the most dynamic in the world. Active mobility remains out of the competition. Besides, active mobility is the prevention of many diseases that arise due to inactivity.
Using of bicycles is favorable. The bicycle rental network is constantly expanding in Moscow and the length of bike paths is increasing, the study adds.
Scientists note that new possibilities for using cars increase the number of commuting; in Moscow, this problem was solved by partially implemented Moscow central diameters. It removes the load from highways. The capital of Russia is moving forward on its path of creating a comfortable urban space for everyone, and the ecological situation has improved significantly over ten years.
Another contributing factor is the new rule for the transit of freight transport through residential areas — "freight frame". That measure increases the average speed of traffic flow, significantly decreases the concentration of harmful substances and noise levels, and improves the situation with traffic safety, the study states.
The intelligent transport system in Moscow makes it possible to regulate traffic intensity, ensure balance in road network load, and improve the quality of public transport. According to the authors of the study, the number of accidents has decreased by almost half compared to 2010.
Carried out by the Moscow government since the 2010 range of measures have brought results and improved the situation on the big-cities roads, the researchers concluded.
