Omsk to host the largest final in the history of the 'Best Taxi Driver in Russia' competition

From 31 July to 2 August, Omsk will host the final of the All-Russian professional skills competition 'Best Taxi Driver in Russia' for the first time. Thirty-one participants from various regions of the Russian Federation will compete for the title of the country's best driver. The main prize will be a car.

This year, the final will be the largest in the history of the competition. For the first time, two professional competitions will take place simultaneously. In addition to the federal final, a regional competition, 'Best Taxi Driver with Many Children in Omsk', dedicated to the safe transportation of children, will also be held.

Another feature of the final will be the participation of the first international guest in the history of the project. The winner of the professional skills competition 'Best Taxi Driver in the Republic of Angola', Afonso Domingos, will compete outside the official standings.

The competition in Angola took place in February 2026 on the initiative of the Public Council for Taxi Development, and became the first international stage of the Russian project. Now its winner will come to Omsk to demonstrate his skills on the same platform as the best drivers in Russia.

This year, the final will feature representatives from the Voronezh, Rostov, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Yaroslavl regions, the Komi Republic, the Altai and Krasnodar territories, and other regions.

Over the course of three days, participants will face a series of challenges. They will demonstrate their knowledge of traffic rules, Russian history, transport legislation, as well as their skills in safe and precise vehicle handling. The final part of the programme will be a creative competition dedicated to family values, childhood and the development of safe passenger transport.

Alongside the competitions, an open meeting of the Working Group on the Regulatory Environment for Taxis of the Public Council under the Russian Ministry of Transport will take place. Representatives of regional government bodies, industry associations and the expert community will take part in the discussion. The main topics will be improving the safety and accessibility of taxi services, as well as developing services for families with children and large families.

The winner of the federal final will receive the honorary title 'Best Taxi Driver in Russia', a car and a cash prize of 150,000 roubles. The silver medallist will receive 100,000 roubles, and the bronze medallist 50,000 roubles.

For residents and guests of Omsk, the organisers have prepared a festive programme featuring performances by Russian artists and the opportunity to watch the country's best taxi drivers compete.

The All-Russian competition 'Best Taxi Driver in Russia' has been held since 2018 on the initiative of the Public Council for Taxi Development, with the support of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Over the years, the competition has become the largest platform for professional skills among taxi drivers in the country.

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