Lack of drivers and rising prices for spare parts: why taxis are becoming more expensive in Russia

Taxi trips have increased in price by an average of more than 20% during the year.

Photo: María LENZ

THERE ARE FEWER MIGRANTS

Taxi trips have increased in price on average by more than 20% over the year, reports the Yandex Taxi service. Additionally, there is a huge staffing gap in the industry. Analysts say that to normalize prices the country needs about 80,000 more drivers, of which 30,000 are in the capital region.

Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote about the brewing problem in passenger transportation about two months ago, just after the new law on taxis came into force. The document increased the requirements for the taxi drivers themselves: in this service it was prohibited to hire people convicted of medium and serious charges, inexperienced drivers (those with less than 3 years of experience) and persistent traffic violators (with 3 or more unpaid fines). .

By the way, the law does not directly prohibit non-Russian citizens from working in taxis; the main thing is that the driver has the right to work in Russia and has a Russian driver’s license. And foreigners can also obtain such a document. By the way, let us clarify that it is also allowed to work with licenses issued in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Abkhazia and North Ossetia.

To finally determine who can sit behind the wheel of a checkered car and who is shown the exit, the law granted extensive rights to the regions. You can even take special tests on knowledge of the language, the city and the ability to communicate with passengers. If you don’t pass the test, you won’t be able to get behind the wheel. Not because you are a migrant, but because you don’t know how to work.

Although in some regions it was decided to completely close or significantly limit the influx of visitors to various professions, including taxis.

THE LAW REQUIRES SACRIFICES. FINANCIAL

As a result, there are fewer immigrants behind the wheel, notes the professional service Yandex Taxi. And this is precisely what is associated with the increase in transport prices. However, it would be a stretch to assume that this alone caused taxi prices to rise.

Several factors came together. The new law caused a direct increase in costs. First of all, prepare the car for taxi work. It is necessary to paste it with the colors established for the entire region, so that from a distance it is noticeable: this is an official taxi and not some kind of leftist one.

“A normal film in Moscow costs 70 thousand,” Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union, told KP. – And you have to change it approximately every 2-3 years, because it tends to stick in the sun and cannot be removed afterwards. Remove the film – at least another 30 thousand.

Secondly, starting next year, taxi drivers will have to have an OSGOP policy (mandatory carrier civil liability insurance), which is equivalent to about 7 thousand rubles more.

Thirdly, the taxi driver has additional concerns: he needs to issue police clearance certificates, connect to a special digital platform; All these unproductive wastes of time and emotions require financial compensation.

TAXI DRIVERS ARE LEADERS IN SALARY

This is just what is associated with the new law. But there is a more compelling reason for the tariff increase: the fifth.

“Taxi trips have become more expensive due to the increase in prices throughout the automobile sector: the increase in the cost of the cars themselves, spare parts, fuel and lubricants, repairs,” Oleg Amosov, president of the Forum Taxi public movement, said to KP. – Cars have become more expensive and are bought less. There are fewer cars in the parks. People want to go, but there are no cars.

Sixthly, in September there was a loss of taxi personnel. Not just immigrants who were forced to leave the profession by the new law. People went to related areas (courier services, logistics companies); there, according to Amosov, the income is much higher and there are no such restrictions or the collection of certificates. After all, it happens that a person knows that somewhere there are higher salaries, but he is used to his place, so he sits and does not look anywhere. But if some changes begin, of which it is not yet known how they will end, in such a situation many begin to look for a new job.

These movements among taxi drivers occurred between September and October. And those who stayed suddenly realized that in November their income increased significantly, precisely due to the increase in tariffs. According to the hh.ru service, in the last autumn month, taxi drivers became leaders in salaries among manual professions – 105 thousand rubles per month.

And finally, the seventh reason for the increase in tariffs is that some people have begun to live richer: they travel by taxi more often (over the year this figure has increased by 20%), and in large cities the share of trips in “Comfort class taxis have increased, which are more expensive than Economy.