Motorists will not be an alternative to toll roads?

Expressed recently the Deputy Minister Andrei Klepach vneshekonomrazvitiya idea to build toll roads without the device doubles alternative causes mild bewilderment. All existing in more than 30 countries around the world 150 000 toll road must have additional detours, though not so short and speedy. What is behind the new idea of ??the deputy minister? According to the deputy minister himself, whose idea is even supported by Transport Minister Igor Levitin, the measure would help attract foreign investors. The idea is simple - to build in Russia, toll roads, attracting investors on an equal footing with state shares, and concession. In the beginning, as soon as the idea of ??building toll roads on the busiest federal highways closer to implementation, full of optimism, many lawmakers have argued that here, they say, is only to enact appropriate laws to rebound from the investors will not. The impression that investors are already almost on the doorstep and just waiting for a signal to part with their money, to start building toll roads and make them with mutual benefit for themselves and the State. But apparently, it was smooth on paper. Actually frightens not a strange idea, expressed by Mr. Klepac. To abandon the construction of alternative roads and a lot of mind is not necessary, but whether it is to attract investors, the big question. Of the entire road network runs, in the world today, and their more than 25 million, the share paid a maximum of 3 percent. And despite the convenience and attractiveness of these objects, return them for today is quite low. What is it? Toll road is a fairly unique engineering construction of 6-8 bands with a separate direction of motion, with turnstiles, overpasses, tunnels and ramps, artificial lighting, electronic traffic control infrastructure in the form of huge service centers and parking facilities for recreation. The route should provide less than free roads, fumes, low noise level. That is fun, let's say, not from the category of cheap. For example, the budget plan a route Moscow - St. Petersburg today is nothing less than 200,700 million rubles. This means that in order to construct a road, require an investor willing now to part with half of that money. Yes, these investors are, but they naturally want to get a warranty. Why? Yes, because, as evidenced by international practice, return on these roads are quite low and the estimated numbers of 25-30 years. And it provided that all conditions are met: sufficient density of transport, 15-20 thousand cars a day, and the solvency of the population. For example, in France, one of the most advanced countries in Europe, the Millau bridge, there is a toll road. The bridge - the highest in the world, situated at an altitude of 360 m above the water level. Free ride on it impossible. But the concession for the construction of this bridge is already 75 years old, and the money invested will pay back only 50 years! It is unlikely that our investors are ready for such payback. So now the government and is working on a plan for their return to investors, namely the guarantee, the opportunity is provided for in the Law on the roads and road work. " It is partial compensation for funds that investors nedopoluchat due to the operation of these complexes road comfort. At present, negotiations are underway with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Regional Development and VEB. The plan - to restrict the rents for tenants whose plots fall on the territory of the toll road, and it looks like the rejection of construction of alternative roads - is also part of a plan to attract money. However, government officials, submitting ambitious projects, should think again, is not it happen that the state, setting the road on such terms and paying compensation under the guarantees once again climb into the pockets of taxpayers. In the world there are not many cases where toll roads are becoming truly profitable. Is that in Hong Kong and Singapore - countries where there is a fairly liberal in terms of tax legislation, exceptional density and almost totally motorization and the solvency of the population. Russia is still very behind on all these indicators. And the directions that come in at least two of these items, not so much. This is the route Moscow - St. Petersburg, which requires the normal connections to the airport Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg sea port, the route of the Nord bypass Odintsov, Minsk highway, toll bypass tubes suburbs, bypassing Lyubertsy, rail, Reutov, Balashikha, near Moscow federal highway "Don". Also called Krasnogorsk, which plan to join Volokolamskoye and Riga highway. As you can see, all these trends rather "populated", and alternative routes for them already exist. So if government officials and promise as a guarantee to close all the roads at the entrance to the Russian capital, they will simply ponastavit barriers everywhere. Then there is a will does not toll roads in the concept, who are supposed to be, but simply the feudal system. In addition, attracting investors, the government should think about yourself, because the idea of ??concession implies that the state, renting their facilities, should this make and receive the corresponding tax revenues, and Russian citizens - new jobs. So the task is not easy. The calculations show that at reasonable rates tolls can pull themselves up to 30% of all traffic flows, and because it all depends on whether a reasonable compromise between the amount of guarantees and the fare on the route, able to attract the 30%. It is hoped that the toll roads, such as they are in developed countries in Europe and America, in Russia finally appear. Not least because the problem is long overdue. Construction of highway Moscow - St. Petersburg to start in 2010, accepted rate of travel, which currently stands at 3.6 rubles. per kilometer. Very soon it will be possible to ride on it is really "the breeze", without traffic jams, using the permitted speed of 150 km / h, and relax in comfort in a modern roadside cafes, and catch a lot of things. But all this would not have anything to do with the lack of alternative free roads.