Proposal to Temporarily Allow Migrants to Work as Taxi Drivers in Russia

The Public Council for the Development of Taxis in Russia has sent a proposal to the Federation Council to grant migrants a temporary permit to work as taxi drivers for two years, according to RBC.

This measure, according to the council, is intended to help overcome the shortage of drivers, which experts estimate to be between 500,000 and 2.5 million people.

“We propose to allow temporary entry of migrants into taxi services under strict supervision,” said council president Irina Zaripova. She noted that effective monitoring of drivers can be ensured through a special device installed by insurance companies to log driving parameters.

The proposal to permit migrants to drive taxis has been sent to Alexei Sinitsin, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Committee on Economic Policy. At a round table dedicated to taxi issues held in early December, he suggested that market participants formulate recommendations for improving state policy in the taxi sector.

The Federation Council has not yet commented on the initiative.