In the suburbs, private traders were forbidden to offer taxi services at airports

On March 22, the resolution of the government near Moscow will come into force, complicating the life of illegal taxi drivers (bombs) at the airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. The document says that “the proposal for the transportation of passengers and baggage” at airports can only be made on equipped racks where legal carriers work. Officials assure that citizens will still be able to order a taxi through the applications of aggregators, but this should not be from the decision, the expert draws attention.

Decree No. 228 of the Government of the Moscow Region shall enter into force on March 22. It refers to the ban on “proposals for the transportation of passengers and baggage” in the territories of the regional airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky (Vnukovo belongs to Moscow). At the same time, the territory is considered not only the airport building, but also parking, platforms, other structures, as well as a 30-meter zone around them. An exception is possible in specially equipped places-taxi racks, where legal carriers and their driver employees work. The requirements for such racks should be developed by the Ministry of Transport of the Ministry of Transport within a month.

The representative of the Ministry of Transport of Mosoblast, Yevgeny Karenikova, said that the decision was published to combat illegal carriers. “The so -called calls work in airports – people who offer taxi services without permits. Just against this illegal activity, the ban is directed, ”said Ms. Karetnikova. The decision stipulates that legal carriers must comply with the Federal Law on Taxi No. 580 (entered into force in 2023). This document tightened the requirements for carriers – not only receipt of permits, but also the passage of daily medical examinations and inspections is expected from them.

Regional authorities regularly try to fight illegal immigrants. Thus, in June 2024, the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg made amendments to the local Administrative Code, establishing a fine for violation of the “ban on the proposal of services for the transportation of passengers and baggage” at local airports outside the equipped taxi racks. St. Petersburg lawmakers decided to fine citizens for this for 5 thousand rubles, legal entities – for 100 thousand rubles. The law entered into force in January 2025. It is noteworthy that in the resolution of the Moscow Region, sanctions are not negotiated.

The Ministry of Transport near Moscow assures that passengers will still be able to order cars at the airports « through the mobile application of the aggregator or by calling a taxi service. » But this does not follow from the text of the decision, the head of the Union of Passengers, a member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, Kirill Yankov, pay attention. According to him, the document was written “incomprehensible” – and it can be read so that “the taxi that is not ordered from the rack will not be allowed through the barriers of the airport”. “Such actions will cause the complaints of passengers and lead to queues on racks, where a taxi order, as a rule, also costs more,” says Mr. Yankov.

The ban on the authorities will not work, according to the coordinator of the “Blue Buckets” movement Petr Shkumatov. According to him, most carriers are counterparties of aggregators, so that illegal immigrants “can print a badge” I am a Yandex.Taxi driver ”and so offer transportation services. “It is quite difficult to confirm that the taxi service was not at the rack, but at the place of exit of passengers from the terminal. And the number of such drivers at airports in recent years has decreased due to the popularity of mobile applications, ”adds Mr. Shkumatov. “The worst that can happen,“ airports monopolize services through their taxi racks, ”says Mr. Yankov, but hopes that this will not happen.

Alexander Voronov