A seasoned automobile expert, Robert Yang, argues that taxi pricing lacks fairness, especially in adverse weather, and points out that the decision on fares rests entirely with the aggregator. In this view, the Fair Competition Agency (FAS) alongside the Ministry of Transport maintain that taxi prices should respond to supply and demand, a stance Yang discussed during a conversation with the 360 TV channel.
He explained that no binding law sets a fixed price for taxi rides. Instead, the fare should arise from the balance of supply and demand in the current conditions. If anyone proposes a different approach, Yang said, the official perspective rests with FAS and the Ministry of Transport.
Yang added that FAS already grants regional authorities some leeway to regulate prices within defined maximum and minimum bounds. Yet he noted that there has been little to no analysis of how fair this dynamic pricing actually is in practice.
According to the expert, there is, in essence, no universally fair taxi pricing model. When demand rises, operators may raise prices; if demand climbs by as much as 30 percent, fares can triple, and the reasons for such shifts often remain opaque to riders and regulators alike.
Yang contends that Russia’s taxi prices should be anchored by legislative action to create greater fairness. He argued that there is no simpler solution, since passengers complain about high costs while drivers resist fixed pricing on the grounds that it would diminish earnings. The tension between affordability for riders and profitability for drivers is a persistent theme in discussions about taxi regulation.
In the meantime, lawmakers have floated ideas to cap additional charges during bad weather. For example, a State Duma proposal suggested that any extra fee should not exceed 20 percent of the usual fare in snowy conditions under normal circumstances. Critics warn that such a measure could push transportation into a gray zone, complicating pricing transparency rather than clarifying it.
Past regulatory actions have included concerns about inflated service prices by large platforms. A notable instance involved accusations that a major taxi app inflated fares, sparking debates about how pricing algorithms operate and who bears responsibility for sudden price spikes. The broader conversation continues across markets in North America, where different regulatory models aim to protect consumers while preserving service viability for drivers. [Sources: regulatory announcements, industry briefings, and governmental transcripts from transport authorities. Attribution: transport policy analysis reports and news coverage.]