The bill on requirements for the localization of taxi cars may be considered in the second reading on May 13. According to the legislative support system, the State Duma Committee on Transport and Transport Infrastructure recommended that the bill be adopted in the second reading.
The bill amends the federal law on passenger taxi transportation (580-FZ), which came into force on September 1, 2023. Its authors are Senator Andrey Kutepov and Deputy Vladimir Gutenev. In January 2024, the bill was adopted in the first reading, after which it remained without movement for a long time.
Businessmen and associations opposed the initiative. They fear that the new requirements for passenger taxis will slow down the renewal of car fleets and create difficulties for self-employed drivers.
The plan was to introduce a requirement that from October 1, 2025, a passenger car must be produced in Russia and have a localization level of at least 3200 points. This requirement meets the criteria for admitting cars to public procurement in Russia.
For the second reading, Kutepov and the head of the State Duma Committee on Transport, Yevgeny Moskvichev, proposed postponing the entry of the law into force until March 1, 2026.
New rules have also appeared: cars produced under special investment contracts (SPIC) concluded between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2025 can be used in taxis. From January 1, 2033, the only criterion for inclusion in the taxi register will be the number of points scored for localization, or a government decision (if it concerns a SPIC concluded after March 2025).
However, there are exceptions for the Kaliningrad Region and the Far East. In these regions, the requirements for taxi cars will not apply until March 1, 2028 and March 1, 2030, respectively.
Representatives of the business community have repeatedly pointed out that only models of cars produced by "AvtoVAZ" will meet these requirements, as well as a limited list of less popular brands. Among them are highly localized models of "AvtoVAZ", as well as some models of "Moskvich" and Evolute electric vehicles.
Public organizations propose to postpone the entry of the law into force until it is agreed with the taxi industry. They insist on the introduction of subsidies for companies, clarification of technical requirements and the abolition of the rigid scoring system. Experts warn: without these measures, the law may lead to a decrease in the number of legal carriers and a deterioration in transport accessibility for people.
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New requirements for taxis: only localized cars from October 1, 2025