Don't wave checkers: they want to limit taxi prices during bad weather again
The authorities have returned to the idea of limiting taxi fares, that is, to fix the coefficient of increase in payment for trips in bad weather and in emergency situations. The FAS said that such a mechanism works differently in regions: sometimes it can reach triple the value or higher, which significantly increases the cost of a trip. The Ministry of Transport and the State Duma are ready to work on the issue. At the same time, carriers consider the current prices to be reasonable, and government interference in pricing is unacceptable. How tariff regulation may affect the availability of services for passengers is described in the Izvestia article.
Why were taxi prices recognized as unfair
In Russia, they are considering the possibility of fixing the size of the increasing coefficient when forming taxi fares during bad weather and emergencies. This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Transport to Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, who had previously proposed setting the maximum allowable fare increase during such periods. To study the issue, the ministry sent a request to the Federal Antimonopoly Service, which saw grounds for regulating legislation.
According to the antimonopoly service, the aggregator market is dominated by Yandex Taxi LLC (operator Yandex.Go, Uber, Veset, etc.). Its tariffs use the so-called increasing coefficient, which is multiplied by the base cost of the trip. In some cities and regions, it can reach triple the value or higher, according to the FAS response to the Ministry of Transport.
The document also states that the use of increasing coefficients is designed to smooth out the sharp increase in demand for taxis and balance it with supply. However, according to the FAS, the applied values can significantly increase the total fare amount for specific trips.
"In such circumstances, it is advisable to consider the possibility of working out the issue of regulating the specifics of setting and measuring the coefficient," the Antimonopoly service noted.
The Ministry of Transport, in its response to Yaroslav Nilov, said that the ministry is ready to participate in the consideration of amendments to legislation at the site of the State Duma Committee on Transport.
— The received documents will be submitted to the relevant committee for study from the point of view of possible development of new mechanisms for the protection of citizens' rights. It is very important to do this, given that taxis are a socially demanded service among the population," the deputy explained to Izvestia, adding that a significant increase in the cost of trips causes public dissatisfaction.
According to him, of course, the price of a trip may vary depending on demand, but it should not approach the cost of an air ticket.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Antimonopoly Service with a request to comment on further work on regulating taxi prices.
What determines the cost of a taxi ride?
Business representatives point out that the cost of a trip always depends on the balance of supply and demand. At the same time, the increase in tariffs during periods of bad weather is explained not only by an increase in demand, but also by an objective increase in the costs of carriers.
— In winter— these are snowfalls, ice, uncleaned roads and yards, which leads to a slowdown in traffic. In such conditions, the driver spends more time and fuel on completing one order and can complete fewer trips in the same period. The price change compensates for this decrease in productivity and additional costs," the press service of the Maxim taxi aggregator told Izvestia.
The company emphasized that, unlike employees with a fixed salary, the driver's income directly depends on external conditions.
— Why should he earn less than usual if during certain periods he has to spend more time on the way to the client and on the trip itself, spend more fuel on heating the cabin and spend more money on refueling and washing? — they ask questions in the service.
According to the aggregator, the problem under discussion is most noticeable in Moscow.
— The service offer in the capital's market is limited by the number of cars in taxi companies. During periods of a sharp increase in the number of orders — during rush hours, bad weather, and holidays — the supply cannot physically grow, so part of the demand is simply cut off by increasing the cost several times. At the same time, passengers can switch to well—developed public transport in Moscow," the aggregator noted.
The company also stated that it does not support the administrative limitation of tariffs and the regulation of increasing coefficients. In their opinion, price fixing can lead to the opposite effect: if the trip ceases to compensate the driver for additional costs and risks, the number of available cars in bad weather will decrease, and the waiting time will increase. As a result, some passengers may be left without a service.
Izvestia sent a request to Yandex.Taxi with a proposal to comment on the regulation of the restrictions of the increasing coefficient. Earlier, the company reported that in winter, traffic jams and poor visibility increased the average duration of trips by 25%, and on some routes during rush hours — by half compared to a normal day. The increase in demand and the increase in duration caused prices to rise.
Oleg Pavlov, head of the Public Consumer Initiative, agrees with the idea of the need for a transparent and understandable methodology for calculating taxi fares for passengers. According to him, if there is a monopolist, he should not set prices at his discretion. The issue should be discussed jointly with the business, the regulator and independent experts who understand the specifics of the market.
Georgy Ostapkovich, Scientific director of the HSE Center for Market Research, believes that it is possible to develop some general criteria for increasing coefficients.
— Snow, rain, or, for example, hail are weather phenomena that are the same for all subjects. Therefore, it is possible to set some identical requirements for increasing the cost of trips. But it's not the taxi drivers themselves who should do this, but the regulator," the expert believes.
At the same time, in his opinion, the state is unlikely to do this in order not to harm business. If fares are limited and drivers realize that trips no longer bring them sufficient income, some of them may simply refuse orders.
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