This article is about the banning of a form of transport practically unheard of in the West. It is a form of taxi known as a marshrutka, or marshrutnoye taxi, which means a taxi that follows a particular route. In practice, they are generally similar to bus services, except faster, more frequent, and stop anywhere, not just at designated stops. They cost slightly more, but often serve areas where buses are infrequent or non-existent.
The most common vehicle used as a marshrutka is a GAZelle, a type of minibus. These are ubiquitous across Russia. There are some marshrutki that are larger, some may even look like conventional buses, but they are rarely smaller. There is more on Wikipedia.
From Ridus.ru:
“Marshrutki” to be banned in Moscow
Over the course of the next two to three years, marshrutnoye taxis will be banned from working in Moscow, the head of the capital’s transport department Maxim Liksutov has revealed in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda.
“Marshrutki will not remain in their current form in Moscow for long … It’s a very shady business. Of course, most companies operate legally, but, you can see for yourself, they don’t give tickets to passengers do not give so when they pay their taxes according to our data they only pay for every other passenger. In total, the hidden turnover in the business reaches 30 billion roubles a year”, explained Liksutov.
The minibuses will remain in Moscow all the same, but they will not be operating in peak hours. Just as in larger buses, they will be required to have an engine installed conforming to the “Euro-5” standard, air-conditioning, and the GLONASS system, which will indicate an exact time of arrival at smart bus stops. The Government also plans to paint all buses one colour, which Muscovites will be able to vote for on the internet.
“As a result, marshrutki will be integrated into a single land transport system. Concessions, smart card holders, and all other types of tickets will be accepted.”, explained the mayor’s deputy for transport.
Buses will also accept four types of tickets. They will be available for sale by Moscow Town Transport bus drivers. However, conductors will check tickets on all buses, both public and private, therefore drivers will have to give tickets to all passengers. Funds from sales will be to go to the city, and then the city will have pay transport companies for the transportation of passengers to contract.
According to Liksutov, the smaller buses will still be able to stop for boarding outside of designated bus stops, just not during peak hours. However, passenger drop-off will be strictly at designated stops.
Comments from Ridus.ru:
купоросов:
What are they going to do with the Dajikizbekistanis?
[Note: often, marshrutki are driven by migrant workers.]
dekart:
Oh, Sobyanin [Note: mayor of Moscow] continues to look after Muscovites interests. How touching … Did he not want to ask Muscovites themselves if they needed marshrutki or not? The answer’s obvious. He doesn’t give a sh*t about the townspeople, he’s only thinking about how better to grease his pocket. For example, my house is in between two stops, and the marshrutka saves me when I’m travelling with my little child, because they stop right outside my house. The town’s buses only brake for the stops, and I have to drag my child over the snowdrifts to get there.
ЧеГевара: (responding to above)
In terms of snow on the pavement, it’s an issue of public services, not public transport. Do you think the loutish behaviour of the “marshrutka” drivers on the roads with their “I’ll stop wherever I want” attitude, and as a consequence, accidents and traffic jams are what Moscow needs?
coyoteOdin:
This.
The bureaucrats are only thinking about their coffers and not the convenience of the townspeople.
smilesoffortune:
We don’t care about GLONASS, marshrutki don’t get lost. But because of this, they can multiply the ticket price by five.
Лапоть: (responding to above)
They’re not for marshrutka drivers, they’re for total control. You can track how many trips the driver has made and whether he’s hiding any income. They’ve decided to say that because of GLONASS, they’ll be able to tell you on the bus stop whether the bus will arrive soon to camouflage it.
Ventur:
Has Sobyanin himself tried to get to work on public transport???
Let this bastard himself get to work like that. And let him wait for a bus or a trolleybus specifically …
Sometimes, they never arrive! Marshrutki are more convenient, they’re faster and more frequent.
ЧеГевара: (responding to above)
The marshrutka will remain. Just the money for transporting passengers will go back into the budget, and not into someone’s pocket. What’s bad about that?
coyoteOdin: (responding to above)
Nah, it will, but it’ll go into the pockets of the greedy officials, at the expense of the townspeople and their services.
enno:
Are they cramming those bloody turnstiles into GAZelles now?
Я-6289:
Great!
Especially if no transport other than marshrutki goes down your street.
Alias:
Only cycle paths will save Russians. I’m not joking.
Федя8:
Long overdue.
