Img/2012/3/16/solar-100.jpgMoscow: Though the Russian capital is not known for its sunshine, authorities believe the city gets enough sunlight to afford solar-powered bus stops.
The stops, which will use solar energy collected during day to provide lightning for passengers at night, are part of the City Hall`s strategy for tackling Moscow`s abysmal transportation problems, said Deputy Mayor Nikolai Lyamov.
Moscow will invest 192 billion rubles (around $6.5 billion) for updating its mass transit and road network in 2012, Lyamov said.
In addition to solar-powered bus stops, money will also be spent on roadside traffic jam warning boards, and new "adaptive" traffic light systems.
The total number of solar-powered bus stops was not specified.
Moscow gets about 1,700 hours of sunshine a year -- more than London -- but the insolation level, or measure of energy, the Russian capital get from the sun is far below Miami or Paris, said the Moscow-meteo.ru website.
IANS
First Published: Friday, March 16, 2012, 10:43