Fleet parade opens 88th passenger navigation season in Moscow
Some 50 ships have been involved in the parade
Despite the epidemiological crisis of the last year, passenger segment of Moscow’s river transport has managed to keep its potential. The fleet and infrastructure of the capital is fully ready for the new tourist season, IAA PortNews correspondent cites Yuliya Ruksha, Director of the Association “Union of the Shipping Companies”, as saying at the ceremony.
According to Yuliya Ruksha, the number of the market players has remained unchanged despite the crisis which should be attributed to their own reserves and state support. The fleet of Moscow numbers 100 ships with about 70 of them operating within the city limits. She also told about the bank infrastructure modernization conducted by municipal authorities in the run up to the new season. As for the epidemiological restrictions, the number of tickets sold for voyages should not exceed 50% of ship’s passenger capacity.
Moscow Basin Captain Vladimir Shturmin, Deputy Head of FSBI Moscow Canal, says the infrastructure of Moscow Canal is fully ready for the 88th passenger navigation.
“All hydraulic engineering facilities have undergone internavigation maintenance, 155 units of the fleet have undergone scheduled repairs. 3,583 aids to navigation will be used to ensure safety of the shipping”, said Vladimir Shturmin.
The length of waterways within the Moscow Basin totals 3,842 kilometers including 88 kilometers within the city and 484 kilometers in the Moscow Region. Moscow Canal operates 233 hydraulic engineering facilities, 20 locks, 44 dams, 5 pump stations and 7 HPPs.
The navigation opening ceremony held at the berth of the Gorky Park also featured Aleksey Klyavin, President of Russian Chamber of Shipping; Aleksandr Klyukin, Head of Inland Water Transport Department of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency ; Arthur Ladzin, Deputy Head of FSBI Gormost; Aleksandr Yashkin, Chief Inspector of Gosmorrechnadzor; Valery Belousov, Director of Russian River Register’s Moscow Branch.
Photos by IAA PortNews
