Alexander Makarov, who leads the capital’s taxi drivers’ unions, told Readovka that travelers should expect higher fares once the upcoming taxis legislation becomes law.
The draft taxi bill, which was submitted to the State Duma about six weeks ago, would redefine drivers as self-employed workers and require them to operate under a centralized collection system. In this framework, collectors could emerge under new rules to register drivers and provide a fixed salary. Yet the observer notes that this particular path remains unlikely. The consensus is that a single monopolistic control is not on the cards, but price pressures on rides are still very likely to rise.
As explained by the head of Moscow’s taxi drivers’ unions, current arrangements see lessors supplying vehicles and then assigning jobs directly to drivers. Since operators do not cover fuel costs and frequently sidestep certain labor regulations, the present setup is financially attractive to those involved in the market. The new legislation would tighten oversight on these practices, potentially leveling the playing field, but that tightening is expected to push ride costs upward for customers.
Earlier remarks referenced a forthcoming taxi aggregator named SwiftDrive, positioned to take the place of the Gett service in the Russian market. The developers reportedly aim to capture roughly 12 to 15 percent of the market share, reshaping how demand is matched with supply and introducing new competitive dynamics for drivers and fleets alike.