Nursing home: the average age of taxis in the regions exceeds 10 years
The average age of taxi cars is increasing in Russia. In addition, in a number of regions, despite the federal law "On the organization of Passenger and Baggage Transportation by Passenger Taxi in the Russian Federation", which has been in force for more than two years, relevant regional regulations have not yet been adopted. The law on taxi localization may worsen the aging process of the fleet of cars with "checkers". Izvestia dealt with the problems of the taxi industry and ways to solve them.
Rare "checkers"
In some regions of Russia, the average age of taxi cars exceeds 10 years, and some reach 15 or even 20 years. This follows from the annual report on the state of the taxi industry prepared by the International Eurasian Taxi Forum (a copy is available to Izvestia).
So, in the Ivanovo, Kursk, Magadan, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Ryazan, Sverdlovsk regions, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Crimea, Karelia and Ingushetia, as well as in the Khabarovsk Territory, the average age of a car with "checkers" on board is 9-11 years. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Amur, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Jewish Autonomous Regions and Yakutia, the average age of a taxi car is 12-15 years. The most difficult situation is observed in the Trans-Baikal Territory (17 years old), in Chukotka (19 years old) and in Buryatia (21 years old).
In Tatarstan, Mordovia, Chuvashia, Tambov, Tomsk, Kaluga, Kaliningrad, Tula, Tyumen, Novgorod, Ulyanovsk and some other regions, the average age of a taxi car is 6-8 years. The youngest park (under five years old) is located in Altai, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Rostov regions, as well as in Bashkiria and some other regions. At the same time, only in the Nizhny Novgorod and Penza regions, compared with last year, there was a decrease in the average age of taxi cars (specific figures are not specified in the report). But in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tambov, Tula, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Ivanovo, Omsk and Sverdlovsk regions, an increase in this indicator was noted. In other regions of the country, the average age of cars with "checkers" on board has not changed over the year.
What's in taxi fleets?
Of the almost 1044 million taxi cars registered in regional registries, 123.3 thousand (15.8%) are Lada models, Kia is in second place among taxi drivers (116 thousand, 14.9%), Hyundai is in third (108.8 thousand, 13.9%). This is followed by VW (68.4 thousand, 8.8%), Toyota (50.9 thousand, 6.5%), Renault (48.3 thousand, 6.2%), Skoda (47.8 thousand, 6.1%). Completing the top ten are Chery (29.7 thousand, 3.8%), Haval (23.6 thousand, 3%) and Nissan (18.7 thousand, 2.4%).
The largest fleet of electric vehicles in taxis is registered in the Nizhny Novgorod region (420 electric cars), St. Petersburg (300), Moscow region (242), Krasnodar Territory (215), Moscow (159), Ivanovo Region and Bashkiria (100 each). Less than 100 electric vehicles are listed in the regional taxi registers of the rest of the Federation, and in some regions such vehicles are not used as taxis at all.
Among the main reasons why electric cars are not popular among taxi companies, industry representatives cite an underdeveloped network of charging stations, difficult climatic conditions, as well as a lack of understanding of the residual value of such a model after its completion as a taxi, the report says.
Who carries passengers?
According to the report, as of the beginning of the year, there were almost 194,000 carriers in regional registries engaged in providing passenger and baggage transportation services by passenger taxi. Of these, 131.4 thousand are self—employed, 58.7 thousand are individual entrepreneurs and 3.7 thousand are legal entities. Thus, the main carriers in the Russian Federation are the self-employed.
The ratio of legal entities, sole proprietors, and the self-employed varies by region. For example, in Moscow, the latter account for only 3% of carriers, in the Voronezh region — 13%, and in the Moscow region — 19%. At the same time, in the Tyumen, Leningrad, Murmansk, and Tula regions, the self-employed account for 55-80% of all carriers listed in regional taxi registries. In Astrakhan, Rostov, Ryazan, Ivanovo, Omsk, Saratov regions, Adygea, Buryatia, Udmurtia, Mari El, 80-95% of taxi drivers are self-employed.
Without laws
Despite the fact that the federal law "On the organization of passenger and Baggage Transportation by Passenger Taxi in the Russian Federation" entered into force almost two years ago (from September 1, 2023), there are still no relevant local laws and other regulatory by-laws in a number of regions, said Stanislav Shvagerus, head of the competence center of the International Eurasian Taxi Forum. Because of this, taxis in these regions actually "operate on bird rights," he emphasizes.
— Of the 89 regions of the country, seven have relevant laws related to the taxi industry that are still being negotiated and finalized. Just a week ago, such a document was adopted in the Smolensk region," he told Izvestia.
The prolongation of the issue at the regional level is primarily due to limited resources in a number of Russian regions, both financial and human, says the head of the competence center of the International Eurasian Taxi Forum.
— In some regions, 1-2 people are responsible for taxis in the administration, who are responsible for issuing permits, maintaining a registry, and interacting with federal and regional authorities. There are often not enough hands to work on the preparation of regulatory documents," Stanislav Shvagerus told Izvestia.
Old taxis and new localization
The problem of updating the taxi fleet was outlined back in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic destroyed the production and logistics chains of the automotive industry, there was a shortage of cars and their price increased rapidly. Since then, the problem has only worsened due to sanctions, rising prices for repairs and spare parts, and increased waste collection, the Maxim taxi service told Izvestia.
— Some of the service's partners in the regions have suspended purchases, while others are trying to purchase domestic Lada Granta as the most affordable option or resorting to purchasing cars on the secondary market. Everyone is trying to find opportunities, which are fewer and fewer. The localization law may, on the contrary, contribute to higher prices for domestic cars," the Maxim taxi service's press service said.
The requirements for localization of taxi cars will most of all affect self-employed carriers who use their own car to work in a taxi, according to Anton Shaparin, vice president of the National Automobile Union.
— We see that in most regions the share of self-employed is approaching or even exceeds 90% of all carriers. A person who works in a taxi from time to time in his car will not buy a new domestic model just to remain a legal carrier — many simply do not have the money for this. Therefore, most of these taxi drivers will simply go into the shadows, become "bombshells". As a result, we will get a situation that is already being observed in one large regional city, when illegal taxis instead of "checkers" attach a tennis ball to the roof of the car — a kind of sign that you can raise your hand and "vote" on the side of the road, Anton Shaparin told Izvestia.
The problem of old cars in taxis exists in the regions, and it is very serious, agrees Igor Morzharetto, member of the Presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
— A car that is 12, 15, 20 years old probably shouldn't work in a taxi — passengers ride in it, so the issue of safety is paramount here. In a number of foreign countries, there is an age limit for taxi cars: somewhere it is five years old, somewhere it is eight, somewhere it is ten. We need to apply a similar scheme. But in no case should we tighten the screws on the principle of "we forbid everything tomorrow." It should be as smooth and painless as possible, with the support of the state. Otherwise, there is a risk of being left without a taxi in the regions altogether," Igor Morzharetto emphasized.
Anton Shaparin agrees with him. In his opinion, the transition to Russian taxi cars should begin with appropriate subsidies from the regions and only then make localization requirements.
The problem of the aging taxi fleet is systemic and, unfortunately, will only get worse. The high price of new cars, the unavailability of credit and leasing products at the current key rate do not allow carriers to actively update the fleet, said Irina Zaripova, chairman of the Public Council for taxi Development.
— The localization law, which will enter into force on March 1, 2026, will have an additional negative impact on this process. We believe that by this date, carriers will actively add various cars to the taxi registry in order to retain the right to work, and after that they will use the cars for as long as possible," she told Izvestia.
Electric shutters
Electric taxis operate locally in the capital, other large and developed cities, but their share does not exceed 1%, according to the Maxim service.
"So far, the road infrastructure does not allow them to be widely used for passenger transportation, especially in regions and remote settlements," the company's press service noted.
International practice shows that electric vehicles in the taxi industry are beneficial for the carrier, says Igor Morzharetto. However, the development of electric models in taxis will largely depend on the interest of regional authorities in this, he emphasizes.
— The passenger doesn't care whether a car with an internal combustion engine or an electric car arrives at him. The main thing for him is that the trip is safe and comfortable. Where local authorities are developing infrastructure for electric vehicles, including taxis, providing additional subsidies for their purchase, and giving other bonuses to owners, such as reduced or zero vehicle tax, there will only be more electric vehicles with "checkers" on the sides, the expert believes.
According to Irina Zaripova, taxi companies' interest in electric vehicles has decreased this year. The industry still has little experience in their operation, the charging infrastructure is not developed, and in regions with a cold climate, carriers are wary of electric cars, she noted.
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