Taxi apps across Russia are lighting up with demand — and no one to take the rides. As the country’s fuel crisis deepens, taxis are vanishing from streets not because of regulations or bans, but because driving has simply stopped paying.

Opposition-leaning outlets cast the crunch as a systemic failure the Kremlin won’t name out loud. The Insider reports that a “shortage of taxis has appeared in several Russian regions due to fuel supply disruptions,” with drivers “less likely to go online amid a fuel crisis.”¹ According to its tally, fuel shortages have already hit “at least 86 regions of Russia and occupied territories,” turning every fill‑up into a gamble and pushing drivers off the road.¹

Meduza, also critical of the government, sharpens the economic edge. Citing Kommersant’s market sources, it notes that “taxi drivers in some Russian regions hit by gasoline shortages have been cutting back on shifts,” skipping long routes and central districts out of fear they won’t find fuel again.² Fleet operators estimate that between 5–10% and as many as 20% of drivers have recently left the industry, while the booking service Maxim confirms a fall in the number of active drivers on the road.²

Both outlets stress that this is now visible in the data, not just in social media complaints. Spending on taxis, car‑sharing, and rentals fell about 3% in a single week, even as overall consumer spending jumped 7.9%, Meduza notes, citing Sber Index figures.² Where they converge is on the bottom line: rising fuel prices have gutted the profitability of passenger transport, and drivers are voting with their ignitions — by keeping them off.