Its own bus. How to open a business for passenger transportation

Shuttle taxis are one of the most profitable and liquid types of car business. However, its launch is fraught with many difficulties that must be borne in mind for start-up entrepreneurs.

In most Russian cities, normal bus service is not developed. In cold weather, people are forced to stand at stops for half an hour, an hour, or even longer. We have to choose one of two evils: either wait for a long time for a single, but cheap bus, or quickly get to a place on an expensive taxi. Minibuses offer a third option: quickly and inexpensively. In recent years, fixed-route taxis in many cities of Russia have become almost the main mode of transport, in some places crowding out large public transport. They go more often than buses, they are more maneuverable, they stop at stops on demand, and the conditions in the cabin are often more comfortable.

The disadvantages of urban public transport systems and the growing demand for comfortable transportation by the population make the business of fixed-route taxis very promising for small businesses. You can open your small business even in the absence of your fleet and equipment for car maintenance. When operating a single minibus, an entrepreneur can count on profits 3-5 times higher than the average salary. Passenger transportation is not for nothing called one of the most profitable and liquid types of car business, which attracts with its passive and easy income.

But, as you know, free cheese is only in a mousetrap. In the bus business, not everything is as smooth and sweet as many think from the outside. Therefore, before making plans about how many thousand rubles a day you will be brought by minibus, we advise you to carefully familiarize yourself with the market in your region, analyze the competitive environment and communicate with people working in this field. It should be borne in mind that in some cities of the country minibuses are prohibited or serious restrictions are imposed on their activities.

After such an analysis of the market is carried out, a clearer picture will be formed in the head regarding the legal status and structure of the enterprise. Route business is possible in many variations. You can acquire your own fleet of vehicles or work without it, provide only services for the transport of passengers or carry out other services (dispatch, maintenance, etc.). Most often they start such a business either with budget buses, or attracting drivers with their own cars.

Types of taxi
What types of route taxi are there in Russia?
You may have heard that there are various types of taxis. Which, for example, may not have a strict binding to the route, and passengers in them may indicate to the driver new directions. So, consider that there are no such types of “minibuses without a route” or “minibuses-taxis” in Russia. At least, the legal concept of “route taxi” does not exist. Since 2013, taxis equated by law to public transport, that is, buses, trams and trolley buses. This means that passengers and baggage are transported in minibuses on a regular basis and on a regular route. Such transportation is carried out on the basis of a public contract and is defined by law as “transport by public transport”. In fact, this means that in Russia today there are two types of minibuses, which are:

carry out transportation with the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers at stopping points along the route of regular transportation;

carry out transportation with the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers in any place not prohibited by the traffic regulations along the route of regular transportation.

In addition, according to the Charter of road transport and urban ground electric transport, there are 4 types of passenger transport routes:

Transportation in city traffic. They are carried out within the boundaries of settlements.

Suburban transportation. They are carried out between settlements at a distance of up to 50 km inclusively between the boundaries of these settlements.

Intercity transportation. They are carried out between settlements to a distance of more than 50 km between the boundaries of these settlements.

International shipping. They are carried out outside the territory of the Russian Federation or into the territory of the Russian Federation crossing its border, including transit through the territory of the country.

If we talk about the transportation of passengers and baggage as a whole, then the law in Russia establishes three types of transportation: regular transportation, order transportation, and passenger taxi transportation. And, as you already understood, the activity of minibuses falls under the first category. So a more correct name for this type of transport would not be a “fixed-route taxi”, but a “minibus” or “low-capacity bus”. In addition, a minibus usually means not municipal transport, but private transportation, which works only with the proceeds from ticket sales.