The inDrive service has announced measures to stabilise the cost of journeys following a sharp rise in demand for taxis in Kazakhstan. The company has reduced its commission to 1% in the cities with the greatest load, attracted additional drivers and extended the “No haggling” tariff to 17 more cities.
WHAT MEASURES THE SERVICE TOOK
According to BlueScreen, inDrive provided an official comment in which it explained the reasons for the price rise and listed measures to improve the affordability of journeys. The company said it began taking measures on 9 October, after the first jump in the number of orders.
According to representatives of the service, on 9 October prices stabilised within an hour after the first jump in the number of orders. On 11 October, when demand rose even more, it took about three hours to stabilise. According to the company, the increase in the average fare per journey across the network during peak load was no more than 519 tenge.
WHY THE COST OF JOURNEYS ROSE
inDrive explained the price rise by a sharp increase in the number of orders amid a shortage of available cars. In such conditions, passengers can offer a higher price to find a driver more quickly. At the same time, the final cost of the journey is determined by the driver and the passenger.
To stabilise the situation, the company reduced the service commission to 1% in the cities with the greatest load and continued to attract thousands of drivers. inDrive also doubled its team for checking new drivers and reported that security measures had been strengthened.
In addition, the service extended the “No haggling” tariff to 17 more cities in Kazakhstan. Under this tariff, the driver and the passenger accept the order at a fixed price without haggling, which makes it possible to know the cost of the journey in advance.
According to inDrive, the service continues to operate stably. The company said it is monitoring the situation and working to expand the available journey options.
CONTEXT
Earlier, the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition of Kazakhstan (AZRK) sent inDrive an official warning about the inadmissibility of actions that could violate antimonopoly legislation. The authority pointed to risks for consumers in the event of a sharp increase in the cost of services under unforeseen circumstances.
The warning was sent in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 198 of the Entrepreneurial Code. The document is preventive in nature and is aimed at preventing possible violations. There is no information about further decisions by the AZRK in the materials provided.
