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Buy a helicopter: Moscow official's advice to beat jams
As Moscow residents sweltered in an unprecedented traffic snarl-up, the governor of the region around Moscow offered an unusual solution on Friday: buy a helicopter.
As Moscow residents sweltered in an unprecedented traffic snarl-up, the governor of the region around Moscow offered an unusual solution on Friday: buy a helicopter.
"I fly in a helicopter. (You) should also buy helicopters instead of cars -- then you do not need roads," Moscow Region governor Boris Gromov told journalists, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
His comment came as ill-timed roadworks on the main road to a Moscow airport delayed thousands of people flying on summer holidays and even prompted Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to intervene.
Russian officials rarely encounter traffic jams, since they have blue flashing lights on their cars that allow them to flout rules and drive into oncoming traffic.
Residents of the Moscow region have around 400 private helicopters, Gromov said, but he omitted to mention that private aircraft are not allowed to fly into Moscow airspace.
