An expert told about how to save money on cabs on New Year holidays

Every year with the onset of the New Year holidays, cabs become a particularly popular mode of transportation. Alexei Tuzov, an independent transport industry expert, told Izvestia on December 28 that in order to save money on cabs, it is important to plan trips in advance, choose less busy times or consider alternative ways of transportation.

"Increased demand leads to a shortage of cars, so aggregators are forced to apply increasing coefficients. Many drivers prefer to spend holidays with their families instead of going on the line, which further reduces the availability of cars, especially in the business and premium segments," he said, also noting a general shortage of staff in the industry.

According to him, the increase in cab prices on New Year's Eve may range from 4 to 20%. The highest fares are expected on the night of January 1, especially in the first few hours after the chimes. Increased demand will continue throughout the New Year vacations, but everything depends on the day, time and weather conditions.

The economy segment will feel the price increase to a lesser extent, as the demand is more evenly distributed here. However, passengers should be prepared for longer waits due to a shortage of cars, Tuzov added.

Among the factors that affect the cost of cabs, he named the time of the trip: the most expensive hours are the late evening of December 31, the first hours of the New Year and the morning of January 1. Location also matters: trips from the city center, where the main events are held, will cost more. The length of the route is also taken into account: long trips become more expensive due to traffic jams and difficult weather conditions. Much depends on the class of cab: in the premium segment, prices rise much more strongly due to the low availability of cars.

"The cost of a trip begins to rise on December 31 after 15:00 and decreases on January 1 after 8:00, when the number of working drivers increases sharply. Already after 2:00 a.m. on January 1, the number of cars increases, and although fares do not return to normal levels, they become significantly lower than at midnight. The most profitable time to call a cab on New Year's Eve is from 2:30 to 4:30, and in the evening on December 31 - until 20:00-22:00. There is no big secret in this, it is obvious that the majority of drivers by 22:00 in the evening on December 31 come home to their families, and after the meeting of the new year return to work, "- explained Tuzov.

He advised that in order to minimize costs, plan the trip in advance. The expert recommended using the pre-booking feature to avoid peak travel times.

"Move at a suitable time. For example, it is more profitable to order a cab on the morning of January 1 or the evening of December 31 before 20:00. Consider alternatives: use carsharing or public transportation. According to predictions, renting a car through a carsharing service during the New Year holidays can be significantly cheaper than a cab, especially at times of high demand. For example, a trip on the carsharing, which costs from 7 to 15 rubles per minute (depending on the car model and time of day), may cost 30-50% cheaper than a cab," said the expert.

Earlier, December 26, it was reported that deputy head of the faction "Fair Russia - For Truth" Dmitry Gusev proposed to limit the ability of cab drivers to inflate prices for their services. Amendments parliamentarian proposed to take into account in the bill of the Ministry of Economic Development "On platform economy in the Russian Federation", adjustments have already been sent to the Ministry of Economic Development.