Driver Shortage May Fuel Taxi Rate Hike, Yandex Warns

3 months ago 8
Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency

Russia’s most popular ride-hailing service, Yandex Taxi, may raise prices later this year due to a growing shortage of drivers, a senior manager at the company said Wednesday.

Anton Petrakov, who handles corporate and government relations at Yandex Taxi, warned that tightening migration policies and new taxi service regulations could leave the company short by 130,000 drivers.

“Fares will increase and could vary by dozens of percentage points year-to-year,” Petrakov told the RBC business news outlet.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Petrakov said the price hikes would be felt most during rush hour and toward the end of the year.

He also said Yandex Taxi is in talks with regulators to “remove barriers to entry” for drivers, many of whom have been forced to change professions.

“We’ll increase investment in attracting and retaining drivers, motivating them to work during peak hours,” he said.

Dozens of regions in Russia recently banned migrants from working as taxi drivers following the deadly concert hall attack near Moscow in March. The attackers were reportedly from Central Asia, fueling a rise in anti-migrant sentiment.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Continue

paiment methods

Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read Entire Article
Progleton News @2023