Makhachkala authorities recall tax increase for fixed-route taxis

Today, Ferzullah Kakhrimanov, deputy head of the administration of the capital of Dagestan, said that following the order of Mayor of Makhachkala Said Amirov a decision was made not to increase the cost of trip tickets for drivers of fixed-route taxis of Makhachkala. Its price rate remains unchanged - 2800 roubles per month.

As stated by Mr Kakhrimanov, now the drivers have no grounds for strike and should come to work. Representatives of the drivers have not yet confirmed the information about achieved agreement.

The striking drivers told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they would go on with their action until the management of the "Makhachkaltrans" rejects its decision to raise the cost of the trip ticket for drivers from 2800 to 3300 roubles.

The driver, Osman by name, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that nobody knows where the money paid by drivers of fixed-route taxis for so-called "trip tickets" goes.

"We have no social guarantees, work-record books and deductions to the pension fund. Apart from buying trip tickets, we have to pay taxes. They give us licenses for 5 years, but every year, for some unknown reason, they ask to extend them, and ask 700 roubles for that. In total, more than half of our earnings goes nobody knows where," said the source.

Residents of Makhachkala diverged in perceiving the drivers' strike. Many of them could not get in time to work and schools and were forced to use traditional taxis. Their drivers immediately screwed their rates up. If usually the average fare for a taxi drive in Makhachkala made 70-100 roubles, now drivers claim up to two hundred. Hundreds of taxi drivers from other regions invaded Makhachkala, created numerous traffic jams in the city.