The expert explained the danger of illegal taxis

The transition of taxi drivers to the "gray" zone poses a serious threat to both passengers and drivers themselves. Alexey Bykov, a member of the General Council and head of the subcommittee on taxi development of the Delovaya Rossiya NGO, chairman of the Taxi 369 Advisory Council, told Izvestia on May 6 about the disadvantages of illegal transportation.

"In recent years, tremendous work has been done in Russia to whitewash the taxi industry. The great merit of modern aggregators and the law on the self-employed is that people began to work legally. We have a million taxi drivers registered as self-employed in the country alone! For the regions, these are tax deductions, and for passengers, they are a guarantee of safety, since both the car and the driver can always be tracked," he said.

At the same time, according to him, the departure of some drivers to the "gray" zone may lead to a deterioration in safety and a decrease in the level of taxes.

Bykov added: when a passenger gets into a car provided by a driver working in the informal sector, he has a lot of questions. He doesn't know who exactly is driving him, what kind of car he's driving, or whether this driver has passed any safety checks. This creates significant uncertainty and risk for customers.

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"Imagine a situation: you get into a car and you don't have any information about the driver. We don't know about his past, or what problems he might have had before. If he has a negative experience, it can turn into trouble for us. For example, a driver could face serious problems in his life, and we cannot predict how this might affect our safety. It is important to understand that the lack of checks and licenses for such drivers makes us vulnerable," the expert explained.

In his opinion, from the point of view of the drivers themselves, the situation is also extremely unfavorable. They can't be sure who's going to get in their car. This poses a risk to both their personal safety and the legal consequences.

"Every time they take on a passenger, they take on certain risks. If something goes wrong, they may face legal problems. The least that can happen is that they will be stopped by the police and they will have to explain why they are transporting without the necessary permits. In the worst case, the driver may find himself in a situation where he is accused of transporting prohibited substances or other offenses, which can lead to serious consequences, up to imprisonment," Bykov said.

He stressed that the transition of drivers to the "gray" zone is not just a matter of convenience or economy, it is a serious problem that affects the safety of all participants in the process.

"Passengers are risking their health and lives, and drivers are putting their freedom and reputation at risk. It is important to understand that legal and proven taxi services provide not only comfort, but also safety, which is a priority for everyone," the expert concluded.

Earlier, on April 22, it was reported that the cost of taxi rides in Russia has increased 2.5 times in five years. In the last year alone, the growth was 22%. The average check for all regions in the first quarter of 2025 increased to 460 rubles compared to the same period last year, according to MTS Bank analysts.