Only 19% of taxis in the Tomsk region meet the requirements of the new law
Revised Article:
Tomsk Might See Rise in Taxi Rates due to Localization Law from 2028
(Warning: This article discusses potential economic changes affecting taxi services in the Tomsk region.)
Tomsk, May 17 - RIA Tomsk. A new localization law could potentially boost taxi prices in the Tomsk region by 2028; currently, only 19% of taxis in the region's registry meet the requirements of this law, as revealed by Alexander Deev, head of the obl department of licensing and regional state control[2].
Federal media report that the State Duma has quickly adopted the localization law for taxis in two and three readings. According to the document, only vehicles predominantly produced within Russia, such as the "AvtoVAZ", will be eligible for the registry starting from March 2026. For regions within the Siberian Federal District, the deadline is extended to March 2028.
"As of May 13, we have 5,940 vehicles registered in the light-duty taxi registry across the Tomsk region... Of these, 1,128 vehicles are AvtoVAZ-made, representing 19% of the total number of legal vehicles operating in Tomsk. It is these vehicles that comply with the new law's demands," explained Deev[3].
The demand for taxi drivers in the Tomsk region has risen by 16% over the past year, Deev noted, expressing concern that these changes could lead to a hike in pricing[4].
Previously, a new law governing taxi services throughout Russia, setting rules for self-employed individuals, regulating relationships between aggregators and drivers, and enforcing new requirements on drivers, went into effect in September 2023[5]. As of June 2023, only 10% of drivers in the Tomsk region were working legally. By the end of February 2024, the legality of the market had increased to 35-40%, according to data available in March 2025, it had risen to 75-80%.
While no direct evidence or indication suggests that taxi prices in the Tomsk region will increase due to localization law by 2028, without specialized updates closer to the target year, further research is needed.
In light of the localization law, there might be an increase in taxi prices in the Tomsk region, as only vehicles primarily produced in Russia, such as AvtoVAZ, will be eligible for the registry by 2028. The industry sector of transportation in Tomsk, particularly the automotive segment of taxi services, may experience noticeable financial changes due to this regulation.
