Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Transport and Development of Transport Infrastructure, Pavel Fedyaev, spoke out against the initiative to limit the increase in taxi fares during snowfalls and other adverse weather conditions. He stated this at a press conference.
Fedyaev recalled that the increase in prices during peak periods existed long before the advent of aggregators. According to him, even 20 years ago, with a completely unregulated market, the cost of trips on New Year's Eve increased threefold, despite the absence of digital services and ordering services.
There were no ordering services, it was the same rusty "Zhigulenok", and even the driver didn’t speak Russian very well anymore. But it was still three times the price on New Year's Eve.
He emphasized that a strict restriction on tariffs in bad weather or on holidays could lead to the opposite effect: drivers would simply stop going out on the line. As a result, passengers will face not affordable prices, but a shortage of cars.
At the same time, Fedyaev admitted that the problem exists and the issue of regulation requires discussion. However, in his opinion, straightforward measures like banning price increases "in rain, snow, or on New Year's Eve" are not the optimal solution and require a more comprehensive approach.
Earlier, the State Duma proposed limiting the increase in taxi fares during adverse weather conditions. Deputy Chairman of the Committee Rafael Mardanshin noted that a direct ban on raising tariffs is impossible, and proposed considering a flexible mechanism for regulating markups by analogy with retail chains.
