Tolyatti carriers answer for illegal fare hikes
Ten Tolyatti transport companies were exposed for unfair competitive practices in the public transport market.
The Arbitration Court of Samara Oblast has put an end to the dispute between local carriers and specialists from the regional office of FAS. Businesspeople from Tolyatti were suspected of violating antitrust regulations.
The cause of the dispute was a sharp and synchronous increase in tariffs on 29 public transport routes in Tolyatti. This decision was made by 10 local companies that operate on unregulated tariffs in the city:
«Rosven»;
«Green-Eyed Taxi»;
«Grand-Auto»;
«Express-City»;
«Alliance»;
«Sprinter»;
«Imperial-Auto»;
«RT-Zapchast»;
«Tantal»;
«Tandem».
FAS specialists studied the routes, length, passenger flows, composition and characteristics of the rolling stock, costs, and other parameters of the carriers« operations. The experts did not find proper economic justification for the uniform tariff increase. They concluded that it was a case of coordinated anti-competitive actions. Similar thoughts were had by employees of the local prosecutor»s office.
In early April 2025, FAS representatives demanded that the carriers freeze tariffs and not raise them. Company representatives disagreed with this approach and in turn appealed to the Arbitration Court of Samara Oblast. In their lawsuits, they insisted on the need to invalidate the antimonopoly service«s decision.
For several months, the arbitrators studied the positions of the parties. In the end, they denied the plaintiffs.
“Thus, the Arbitration Court of Samara Oblast confirmed the legality of FAS«s decision and the issued prescriptions of the office. In accordance with the court ruling, each of the carriers has been served a prescription to establish an economically justified price for the service based on their own costs, composition, and other factors determining the cost of transportation,” summarized representatives of the department.
The problem of unjustified tariff increases for public transport rides is particularly acute in Tolyatti. In 2024, it was already highlighted by FAS. At that time, over the course of the year, carriers adjusted the fare at least three times.
It is known that in 2026, tariffs are planned to be revised in Samara as well. It is assumed that the new rates will come into force no earlier than March.
