МЕФТ launches public consultations on changes to taxi regulation

The International Eurasian Forum "Taxi" is launching a public consultation on possible changes to the regulation of the taxi industry, which could be introduced through an experimental legal regime (ELR).

Drivers, taxi fleets, self-employed carriers, aggregators and digital platforms, experts, representatives of professional associations and government bodies are invited to take part. The consultation is being conducted in the form of an anonymous survey. Proposals will be accepted until 31 July 2026.

The ELR makes it possible to test new mechanisms in practice first, assess their effectiveness, and only then develop proposals for further regulation. The views of market participants will help to establish which measures are genuinely in demand and which risks need to be taken into account in advance.

At the heart of the discussion are digital solutions and new approaches that could reduce the administrative burden, simplify legal operation in the market and improve the safety of passenger transport. Participants are invited to assess the initiatives currently being discussed by the professional community: from electronic waybills and remote medical checks to simplified vehicle registration requirements, the development of e-OSAGO and new models for regulating self-employed drivers.

A separate block of questions is devoted to the future digital infrastructure: who should develop and control it, how government and commercial platforms should interact, what costs market participants are prepared to bear, and what risks need to be considered before the experiment is launched.

The launch of the public consultation forms part of the IEFT's systematic research work assessing the state of the taxi industry. Today the market faces persistent challenges: staff shortages, rising costs, complex administrative procedures, territorial restrictions and the risk of some carriers moving into the illegal sector. At the same time, taxis remain a significant part of the country's transport system. The accessibility of the service for passengers, business sustainability, journey safety and legal employment for drivers all depend on how workable, technologically advanced and balanced the regulation is.

For the IEFT, it is important that proposals for the development of regulation are shaped not only at the level of regulatory frameworks, but also with due regard for real market practice – the work of drivers, the economics of taxi fleets, the capabilities of digital platforms, the position of the regions and the expectations of passengers. In parallel, the IEFT is conducting a separate survey of taxi drivers as part of its research into the current state of the private-hire taxi market in the regions. This will complement the expert discussion with the views of those who work on the front line every day.

All responses and proposals will be analysed, and the results will feed into the business programme of the XIV International Eurasian Forum "Taxi", which will take place on 6–7 August 2026 in Moscow. Following the public consultation and the discussion at the forum, the IEFT will prepare a consolidated position and submit proposals to government authorities.

The International Eurasian Forum "Taxi" has been held since 2011 and serves as an expert industry platform for discussing the future of taxis and urban mobility in Russia and across the Eurasian space.

The forum will take place on 6–7 August in Moscow at the World Trade Centre, Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya, 12.

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