The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has joined the Dushanbe Administration and the Dushanbe Police Directorate in stating that Yandex go is operating in Tajikistan illegally.
In its letter sent to Asia-Plus in response to the report “Our service is mistaken for carrier, says Yandex go” published by Asia-Plus on February 23, a MoT explains why Yandex go does not have the right to offer even dispatching service and why its activities are illegal in Tajikistan.
The MoT, in particular notes that Article 70 of the Automobile Transport Code of the Republic of Tajikistan says that the activity of the taxi dispatch service is a technological part of carriage of passengers by taxi.
“That is, the process of carriage of passengers by taxi includes not only passenger carriage services but also acceptance of orders that are carried out by the dispatching service. In view of the above, services offered by Yandex go cannot be called information platform services. This company performs the services of a taxi dispatching service,” the MoT letter reads.
The MoT states that “based on the above, Yandex go’s activity in Tajikistan is illegal.
Recall, Yandex go’s online travel booking service has operated in the country since February 15. The reaction immediately followed this – the Dushanbe Administration said that the activity of the service in the country is illegal and the law enforcement agencies have detained taxi drivers who began to work with it.
Commenting on the situation, the company told Asia-Plus on February 22 that it operates in Tajikistan in accordance with the country’s legislation.
“The model of the online travel booking service itself is new to the country, and therefore, our service can be mistaken for carrier, but it is not so.
“Yandex go is an international information platform. We do not have our own drivers and cars. We work with local partner carriers, who, in turn, cooperate with the drivers and provide transport services to users,” the company’s written response reads.
“Essentially, our platform helps users place their travel requests through the app and help, and helps transport carriers find them,” the company notes.
Yandex Go is an app to request rides, order food from restaurants, carsharing or send items across city.
Carsharing is a membership based service available to all qualified drivers in a community. No separate written agreement is required each time a member reserves and uses a vehicle. All CSOs offer members access to a dispersed network of shared vehicles 24-hours, 7 days a week at unattended self-service locations.
Owned by the Russia-based internet company Yandex, Yandex go (called Yango in some countries) is a ride-hailing, delivery and e-grocery service operating in more than 1,000 cities, including 300 large cities across Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Finland, Ghana, Romania, Norway, and Bolivia. In the latter seven countries, it operates under a brand called Yango. More than 700,000 drivers are reportedly connected to the network.
