Why It’s Become Harder to Book a Taxi from Moscow to the Suburbs

Getting a taxi from Moscow to the surrounding region has become more difficult. Passengers are facing challenges when trying to book rides to and from nearby suburbs. A popular aggregator’s app often doesn’t work without Wi-Fi, and even if a taxi is successfully booked, the driver might miss the pickup location and then ask the passenger to rebook.

Currently, it’s faster to call a taxi by phone when leaving towns like Shchyolkovo, Odintsovo, or Balashikha. Local residents shared the issues they’ve encountered.

“I often face situations where the internet cuts out. Recently, we booked a ‘comfort+’ taxi, and the driver got upset about the two-hour drive to the suburbs, asking us to cancel because he was struggling with navigation. The app often shows a 25-30 minute wait time. We end up using local services by calling directly, without the app. It’s not very comfortable since the cars don’t even have taxi markings.”

“I just tried booking a taxi, and the app keeps searching for a car without any updates—even though the price dropped over an hour. It’s like Schrödinger’s service: it exists and doesn’t at the same time.”

“The app glitched: it defaulted to cash payment instead of my card, which was a bad surprise since I didn’t have cash. Without internet, I couldn’t transfer money. The driver got nervous, thinking we were trying to avoid paying. The ride was very unpleasant. Luckily, we caught Wi-Fi near home and paid him, or it would’ve turned into a fight.”

Last year, the average taxi wait time in Moscow was 4 minutes, with an average trip duration of 23 minutes for 13 km, according to transport department data. Drivers avoid longer trips, as explained by the head of the Moscow Taxi Drivers’ Union. “Rates for these trips are often too low—they only cover one way. For example, a late-night ride from the city center might pay more, but the driver returns empty. In places like Balashikha, getting a reasonably priced fare is hard, so drivers end up taking short, low-paying trips, which isn’t profitable.”

Aggregators have their own system: refusing a trip deducts points, affecting options like pickup visibility and priority. To avoid penalties, drivers ignore such requests. Passengers aren’t charged until the ride ends—any hold on funds is released if the trip is canceled.

Many drivers believe aggregators avoid raising suburban fares (e.g., from 2,000 to 3,500-4,000 rubles) to maintain demand. Higher prices could reduce ridership and their profits. They rely on new drivers accepting these unprofitable trips instead.

The market for taxi services in Moscow and the surrounding region includes around 200,000 vehicles, serving 1.73 million passengers last year.

Shchyolkovo

Shchyolkovo is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. Founded in the early 16th century, it became a notable center for textile production in the 19th century under the influence of local industrialists. Today, it is known for its historical factories, Soviet-era architecture, and proximity to natural attractions like the Shchyolkovsky Quarry.

Odintsovo

Odintsovo is a city in the Moscow Oblast of Russia, located about 20 kilometers west of Moscow. Founded in the late 14th century, it was historically a small settlement named after the boyar Daniil Odinets and later grew into a significant regional center due to its proximity to Moscow. Today, Odintsovo is known for its mix of modern development and historical landmarks, including the 19th-century St. Michael the Archangel Church.

Balashikha

Balashikha is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located just east of the capital. Founded in the early 19th century as a small settlement near textile factories, it grew into an industrial hub during the Soviet era. Today, it is known for its mix of historic architecture, parks, and modern residential developments, serving as a commuter town for Moscow.

Moscow

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is a historic city founded in 1147, known for its iconic landmarks like the Kremlin, Red Square, and St. Basil’s Cathedral. As the political, economic, and cultural heart of Russia, it has played a central role in the country’s history, from the Tsarist era through the Soviet period to modern times. Today, it blends rich architectural heritage with vibrant contemporary arts, theater, and business.

Moscow Taxi Drivers’ Union

The Moscow Taxi Drivers’ Union is an organization representing taxi drivers in Moscow, historically emerging in the early 20th century as motorized transport expanded in Russia. It played a role in regulating the profession, advocating for drivers’ rights, and adapting to changes from Soviet-era state control to modern private taxi services. Today, it continues to address issues like working conditions and industry standards in Moscow’s competitive ride-hailing market.

Schrödinger’s service

“Schrödinger’s service” is a humorous or metaphorical concept inspired by Erwin Schrödinger’s famous quantum physics thought experiment, Schrödinger’s cat, which illustrates the idea of superposition (a system being in multiple states at once until observed). In a modern context, it might refer to a service or system whose status is uncertain—functioning and non-functioning simultaneously—until checked by a user. The term is not tied to a specific physical or cultural site but plays on the paradox to describe unreliable or ambiguous services.