"News": The number of gray taxi chats in Russia has tripled.

      In Russia, over the past year and a half, the number of chats and communities for calling illegal taxis has almost tripled. Their number has exceeded 11,300, and the audience has reached 22.7 million people. This is reported by "Izvestia," citing data from the office of the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Competition Protection, Sergey Lisovsky, and the association of self-employed individuals in Russia. In 2024, the ANO "Digital Platforms" counted 4,100 such communities, and now their number has grown to nearly 11,300. The descriptions of such chats include rates, and the number of participants reaches tens of thousands of people. The publication provides examples of orders from regional chats, where passengers leave messages with addresses, and drivers respond to them directly. According to the taxi service "Maxim," the increase in chats for illegal transportation is related to the fact that the current regulation does not correspond to the real structure of the taxi market. Analysts noted that 85.5% of those surveyed are afraid of rides with illegal carriers, however, 44.3% are willing to use such services due to lower costs. More than half of the respondents understand that in the event of an accident, the driver is not financially liable, and they are also aware of the risks of robbery, kidnapping, and conflicts. Political scientist Pavel Sklyanchuk stated that digital platforms had previously made the taxi market more transparent, but the shift of part of the transportation into the shadows again creates risks for passengers and drivers. The ANO "Digital Platforms" also noted that in 2025, the number of publications about incidents involving drivers outside official services increased by 71.5%. The number of mentions of murders in such rides increased by 366%, physical violence by 140%, and criminal cases by 257%. At the same time, analysts clarified that merely mentioning a driver in media reports or statistics does not imply their guilt. The first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Control, Dmitry Gusev, reported that currently about half of Russian taxi drivers operate in the gray zone — approximately 1.5 million people. According to him, many private drivers work only a few hours a week and are not ready to fully comply with the taxi law. Maria Yakovleva, director of the legal group "Yakolev and Partners," reminded that a legal carrier must be registered and have mandatory liability insurance for passengers, and organizers of illegal schemes may face liability for illegal entrepreneurship.

      Let us remind you that experts warned about the risks of the growth of the gray taxi market during the discussion of the law on the localization of vehicles for carriers. Market participants then stated that the new requirements could lead to part of the drivers leaving the legal segment and an increase in fares for passengers. At a meeting of the RSPP, it was predicted that up to 200,000 taxi drivers, or about 20% of their total number, could leave the market. The editor-in-chief of the magazine "Za Rulem," Maxim Kadakov, noted that in such a case, some drivers might go "underground," and taxis would become less accessible.

      More news about the event:

      The audience of the illegal taxi market reached 22.7 million people

      Over the past year and a half, the number of chats and communities for ordering in Russia has increased almost threefold

      Photo: 10:49 13.05.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      "Izvestia": The number of gray taxi chats in Russia has tripled

      In Russia, over the past year and a half, the number of chats and communities for calling illegal taxis has almost tripled. 09:46 13.05.2026 Business Online - Kazan

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      The audience of illegal taxi channels in the Russian Federation has tripled in a year and a half

      The number of illegal taxi call channels in social networks and messengers has increased almost threefold in a year and a half – from 4,100. 17:57 13.05.2026 SIA.RU - Irkutsk

      The price of the issue: why do Russians choose illegal taxis over official aggregators?

      "Izvestia": In Russia, the number of "gray" taxi ordering chats has tripled in two years. Photo: 07:04 13.05.2026 RTV-Podmoskovie - Podmoskovie

      "The call didn't go as planned": a taxi driver had to be rescued from a rowdy passenger

      In Penza, a taxi driver needed help while transporting a passenger. Photo: Mikhail FROLOV. 23:37 12.05.2026 KP-Irkutsk - Irkutsk

      In the Rostov region, 13 administrative cases were initiated against taxi drivers

      In the Rostov region, 13 administrative cases have been initiated against taxi drivers due to violations. 11:53 12.05.2026 Panorama - Rostov-on-Don