Shadows on the roads: How illegal taxis became a trap for Kirov residents

      A loud headline is followed by the silence of the system

      In Kirov, as well as throughout the country, there are dozens of laws regulating passenger transportation. Fines for the absence of CTP are being increased, taxi requirements are being tightened, and mandatory insurance and monitoring are being introduced. All this, it would seem, should serve one purpose — ensuring the safety of road users and, of course, passengers. But the reality, as it turned out, is much darker.

      There are so—called "ghost" taxis operating on the streets of the city - undocumented cars driven by drivers without official status, insurance, or any kind of control. These cars transport people every day, creating the illusion of legality, covered by mobile aggregator applications.

      How the circuit works: explains the Bull driver

      The editorial board got access to the materials of the court on the fact of the accident, in which one of the taxi drivers testified to the judicial board. A man named Byk is one of those who carries passengers through the streets of Kirov every day, without having an employment contract, insurance, or access to transportation.

      According to him, the car was handed over to him by the director of Yu-Avto LLC, A.V.Melnikov, the Bull did not conclude any contracts, but considers himself an "actual employee" of the company, he does not receive a salary here.

      "I was told that there is a vehicle registration certificate and a CTP policy in the glove compartment of the car. I did not check the documents for the car," the driver said.

      According to him, all interaction with the system boils down to working through the app on the phone: 65% of earnings remain to the driver, the rest goes to the aggregator and the fleet. No alcohol tests, no assessment of the psycho-emotional state, no technical inspections of the car.

      "Once a week it was necessary to come to the car park to inspect the car," he admits.

      The "ghost" accident: who will answer and compensate for the damage?

      But the scheme collapsed when one of the trips ended in an accident. The accident, in which Kia collided under the control of a Bull and a foreign car, occurred in Kirov on Marshal Konev Street, at the turn to the Bystrica sports complex.

      "I reported the accident to Melnikov A.V. They sent me the number of the CTP policy, as the emergency commissioner requested it, but it turned out to be invalid," Byk said during the interrogation.

      At the same time, the driver was fined for driving a car without a CTP policy. Then the case took a very interesting turn when it came to court. So, during the review of the car rental agreement by the judicial board, the driver denied that his signature was on the act of acceptance and transfer. And in general, he denied the fact of concluding such a lease agreement (despite the documents). After all, in order to avoid payments, the taxi company issued the documents in such a way that the taxi driver took the car for his personal needs, in order, in turn, to shift all responsibility onto his shoulders, in this case, an already "leaky" pocket.

      But he said that the owner of the car, a certain citizen Shcheglov R.I., offered to solve the problem peacefully, namely— financially. The driver agreed to compensation for damages in the amount of 400 thousand rubles and wrote a receipt. In fact, it turned out that this was only damage for Kia, there was no talk of a damaged foreign car.

      As a result, at the time of consideration of the case by the judicial board, the driver reimbursed 27 thousand rubles. He transferred part of the funds, without specifying the purpose of the payment, referring only to the fact that "there is correspondence", which is not notarized. He is not going to compensate for the damage to the car that the Bull collided with. And he believes that the court should recover damages from Shcheglov, as from the owner of the Kia car, who, when handing over the car for use, did not even bother to insure it. And this, as it turned out, is stipulated in the car rental agreement between the owner and the taxi company.

      So it turns out that the owners of a car that was involved in an accident found themselves in a situation where they were forced to cover car repairs at their own expense.

      U-Auto inspection: prosecutor's control and 11 violations

      After the accident in April 2025, the prosecutor's office initiated an inspection of the U-Auto fleet (35 Promyshlennaya St., director Melnikov A.V.). The results were stunning, although predictable: many violations were revealed.

      In particular, it was found that the car involved in the accident, although it is listed in the regional taxi registry, has nothing to do with the U-Auto fleet. And the driver, Byk Yu.E., is not listed in the register of taxi carriers.

      In addition, the prosecutor's office found:

      the absence of compulsory liability insurance contracts for causing harm to the life, health, and property of passengers (in relation to the Kia car);

      failure to comply with the requirements for the appearance of a taxi;

      absence of pre-trip, pre-shift and post-trip medical examinations of the driver;

      absence of pre-trip or pre-shift monitoring of the technical condition of the vehicle;

      absence of CTP and other insurance;

      access to the driver's control without a work device;

      complete disregard for the work and rest regime;

      non-transmission of data to the regional register of carriers.

      It can be assumed that the revealed violations may indicate that the company's activities may threaten the life and health of an indefinite circle of people.

      In theory, the state is obliged to control every stage — from the conclusion of an employment contract with the driver to the availability of insurance. In fact, the whole system is a facade that hides absolute lack of control. The aggregator declines responsibility, the taxi company goes into the shadows, and the driver goes nowhere.

      Why does this apply to everyone?

      Because this car can stop near your entrance. This car may meet on the road and cause an accident. And it's good if it's an accident with damage to property, not health.

      This driver can take your child. And if trouble happens, no one will help you. Neither the aggregator, nor the taxi company, nor the government. Just you and your expenses — for repairs, for lawyers, for medical treatment.

      An illegal taxi driver in Kirov is no exception. It's a system. A system that works without punishment.