Armenian taxi drivers protest against arrival of Yandex Taxi
21.06.2016,
17:49
Armenian taxi drivers protested today against the planned arrival of Yandex Taxi, Russia’s largest online taxi booking service, to Armenia.
YEREVAN, June 21. /ARKA/. Armenian taxi drivers protested today against the planned arrival of Yandex Taxi, Russia’s largest online taxi booking service, to Armenia.
Earlier this week Yandex Taxi representatives announced plans to enter the Armenian market from July 1. The online service will charge 100 drams for the first 2 kilometers, then 100 drams for every next kilometer. The current rate in Armenia is 500-600 drams for the first 3-5 km. Representatives of GG online taxi service claimed today that Yandex Taxi tried to cheaply buy their business, threatening otherwise to use dumping prices.
According to Tigran Hovhannisyan, the head of an organization protecting taxi drivers’ rights, there are a number of mandatory requirements set for private taxi drivers entailing financial costs, such as, obtaining a license, mandatory requirements for the condition of the car, payment of taxes and duties, while no such requirements are set for online taxi services.
According to him, online taxi services GG, Mobi, On-Line, as well as Yandex Taxi are not required to obtain a license and pay taxes, which create anti-competitive conditions in the market.
He stressed that of 50,000 taxis operating in Armenia only 4,500 have licenses and only 1,200 of them pay taxes.
‘This sector is not regulated by the state as anyone can get a license to drive a taxi by paying the necessary fees. There are neither health, sanitary nor other requirements. There are neither special parking areas for taxis,’ Hovhanissyan said adding that a way out of this situation would be licensing all taxi services, including online booking services or abolish it for all .-0-
Earlier this week Yandex Taxi representatives announced plans to enter the Armenian market from July 1. The online service will charge 100 drams for the first 2 kilometers, then 100 drams for every next kilometer. The current rate in Armenia is 500-600 drams for the first 3-5 km. Representatives of GG online taxi service claimed today that Yandex Taxi tried to cheaply buy their business, threatening otherwise to use dumping prices.
According to Tigran Hovhannisyan, the head of an organization protecting taxi drivers’ rights, there are a number of mandatory requirements set for private taxi drivers entailing financial costs, such as, obtaining a license, mandatory requirements for the condition of the car, payment of taxes and duties, while no such requirements are set for online taxi services.
According to him, online taxi services GG, Mobi, On-Line, as well as Yandex Taxi are not required to obtain a license and pay taxes, which create anti-competitive conditions in the market.
He stressed that of 50,000 taxis operating in Armenia only 4,500 have licenses and only 1,200 of them pay taxes.
‘This sector is not regulated by the state as anyone can get a license to drive a taxi by paying the necessary fees. There are neither health, sanitary nor other requirements. There are neither special parking areas for taxis,’ Hovhanissyan said adding that a way out of this situation would be licensing all taxi services, including online booking services or abolish it for all .-0-
