Number of lawfully operating taxi drivers within Sverdlovsk region
In the Sverdlovsk region, approximately 45,000 vehicles have received official recognition as taxis, as revealed by Sergei Chertishchev, head of the control and licensing department at the Sverdlovsk regional transport ministry. During a recent press conference held by Tass, Chertishchev outlined that three registers have been created in the region since September 1, 2023—for vehicles, carriers, and taxi ordering services. These registers have been dynamically updated over the past 1.5 years, with the latest figures indicating over 45,000 taxi vehicles, 5,220 carriers, and 40 ordering services have been registered.
Alexander Porubenko, deputy head of the regional GIBDD's oversight department, attributed this move towards legalizing taxi parks to increased inspections by the State Traffic Inspectorate. In 2024 alone, over 13,000 taxi vehicles were inspected. The scrutiny led to 4,000 drivers facing administrative penalties, including nearly 500 foreign drivers operating illegally with national licenses. In addition, 132 administrative cases were initiated for conducting entrepreneurial activities in passenger transportation without proper authorization.
For the year 2025, the crackdown continued, with 6,000 vehicles and 2,500 drivers being held accountable for traffic violations. Over 600 administrative cases were opened as a result of technical malfunctions found during these inspections. A striking example is a taxi that was recently stopped at a square near the railway station, without a front bumper, broken headlights, and a license plate affixed with wire.
According to GIBDD data, there were 94 taxi accidents recorded in the Sverdlovsk region in 2024, resulting in 7 fatalities and 146 injuries. Sixty-nine of these accidents were attributable to taxi drivers, while 14 were linked to foreign drivers who were conducting the activity without proper authorization.
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Data unavailable for assessment of effectiveness of taxi park legalization in Sverdlovsk Oblast from 2024 to 2025.
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In the ongoing efforts to regulate the transportation industry across the Sverdlovsk region, the public-transit sector, including taxis and carriers, have been under intensive scrutiny since the inception of the three dynamic registers on September 1, 2023. The finance sector, particularly the State Traffic Inspectorate, has played a crucial role in enforcing legalization by conducting rigorous inspections, generating revenue through administrative penalties on offenders in the transportation business.
