Russia wants all taxi drivers to drive Lada, drivers oppose
The Russian government is preparing to transfer all taxis to domestically-made cars; the transport commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation has already supported the relevant amendments to the legislation.
Source: The Moscow Time; Vedomosti ("The Record"), citing a protocol dated 7 August
Details: Russian officials believe that such a decision will contribute to "the formation of federal technological sovereignty and the resistance of the domestic transport network to sanctions pressure."
Reportedly, AvtoVAZ, UAZ and the Tula enterprise of the Chinese brand Haval meet the levels of localisation required by the authorities.
It is assumed that the changes will be forced on 1 January 2024.
Taxi companies in Russia oppose the new rules.
The National Council of Taxis association sent a letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin at the end of July, requesting not to force businesses to only buy domestic cars.
The association warned the government that this would lead to an increase in transport prices and a decrease in transport availability in the country.
The letter stated that "entrepreneurs cannot be forced to buy what is not on sale, and if it is, it comes at a price that leads to bankruptcy." It was also said that the prices of economy-class cars assembled in Russia have recently increased by 70-80%, up to RUB 1.8-2 million (US$19,270-21,230).
At the same time, there is already a shortage of compact passenger cars worth up to 1 million roubles in Russia; these are mainly used in taxis and car sharing.
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