For almost a decade, Moscow has ranked first in the world's road congestion rankings. What is the Russian capital doing to overcome the problem and why is it not working?

"The streets were deserted, like in some post-apocalyptic movie. It was especially creepy in the center of Moscow, where all life had completely stopped," is how Moscow driver Ruslan Seregin describes the roads in Moscow during the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020. Back then, motorists could only get around with a special digital pass in the form of a QR code, obtained in advance by specifying the purpose of the trip using a special app or website. For the first time ever, Seregin got to enjoy near empty roads in Moscow.