On December 15, drivers working through Yandex Taxi held a protest simultaneously in several CIS countries. Reports of participation came from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan. The exact number of participants is unknown, but the action received broad media coverage and drew the attention of lawmakers in St. Petersburg.
Drivers say they face low fares, high commissions and a punitive rating system. Dmitry, a driver from Kazan, told Novaya Gazeta Europe that rejecting an order cuts a driver’s rating by four points, while completing a ride adds only one. He said trips to pick up passengers within five kilometers are paid out of the driver’s pocket, and the final destination is shown only under an extra tariff that adds 6% to the order.
According to Kontur.Focus, the net profit of Yandex Taxi LLC at the end of 2024 exceeded 51 billion rubles. Interviewees told the outlet that short-trip prices have risen only slightly over ten years: from 65-90 rubles in 2015 to about 75-100 rubles now, while drivers’ costs have increased much more sharply.
Protesters are demanding higher ride prices, lower aggregator commissions and disclosure of the passenger’s destination before a driver accepts a trip. They called the action a “silent strike” and urged colleagues not to go online that day. According to estimates by Doxa, drivers stopped work in at least 25 Russian cities.
Former Moscow City Duma deputy Yevgeny Stupin said he could not recall previous taxi protests taking place so simultaneously across several CIS countries. Andrey Savelyev, administrator of Antijob.net, said formal strikes in Russia are heavily complicated, so workers often stop working without officially calling it a strike.
During the protest, some cities reported higher taxi prices and longer waiting times, although snowfall may also have affected conditions. In the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, members of the transport commission decided to appeal to the Federal Antimonopoly Service to review Yandex’s policy.