Russian authorities propose lifting requirement to provide transport information in English

Russia’s Transport Ministry has proposed getting rid of the requirement for transportation information such as bus stop and metro station announcements to be provided in English in addition to Russian. According to a draft order published on the site regulation.gov.ru, the change would affect both “audio and visual” information for passengers.

An explanatory note attached to the proposal cites “the numerous requests from citizens and subjects of the Russian Federation, given the considerable information burden on passengers,” as well as the “socio-political situation in Russia.”

The Moscow Metro’s press service told the newspaper Kommersant that it stopped providing announcements in English in 2021 after the drop in tourism due to the pandemic as well as the “complaints from passengers about the additional information.”

Oleg Yaushev, the director of the Nizhny Novogorod Metro, told the newspaper Kommersant that the city does not plan to stop providing English-language announcements. The Kazan Metro, however, said it will carry out the new order when it is issued.