Uzbekistan's Competition Committee has launched an investigation into sharp increases in taxi fares during peak hours following reported technical disruptions affecting major taxi aggregators across the country. According to the committee, technical malfunctions have been observed in the operations of major taxi services over the past several days. During this period, fares charged by taxi aggregators, including competing platforms, increased several times during peak hours.
The price increases prompted complaints from consumers, leading the committee to examine the pricing practices of taxi aggregators and assess potential violations of competition legislation. The investigation will focus on whether the fare increases were justified and whether taxi aggregators complied with competition regulations.
The Competition Committee has requested that operators review the settings of their pricing algorithms and introduce measures to prevent sharp, artificially inflated fares. The committee also called on aggregators to avoid unfair competition practices and ensure that their pricing mechanisms comply with existing legislation.
In addition to pricing concerns, the committee raised several issues affecting taxi drivers. Aggregators were instructed to address technical problems preventing drivers' earnings from being transferred to their accounts. The committee also requested that operators restore access for drivers whose accounts had been blocked without valid justification.
Furthermore, taxi services were asked to recalculate and pay all outstanding bonuses owed to drivers for completed orders. The committee emphasized the need for taxi aggregators to maintain uninterrupted, round-the-clock technical support services for both drivers and passengers.
The Competition Committee stated that inspections would be conducted if its investigation identifies violations of legal requirements or infringements of consumer rights. Any measures against operators found to have violated the law would be taken in accordance with established procedures.
The investigation follows earlier reports of disruptions to the Yandex taxi service in several Uzbek cities on October 9. During those disruptions, users reported difficulties booking rides through the application. The exact cause of the technical problems had not been officially confirmed at the time.