Who Will Be Prohibited from Driving Taxis in Russia? Putin Signs New Law

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has signed a law that prohibits individuals with unexpunged criminal records for medium, serious, and particularly serious crimes from driving taxis in Russia. The corresponding law has been published on the official online platform for legal information.

According to the document, the ban applies to drivers of buses, trams, and trolleybuses who have unexpunged or unserved criminal records for crimes against public safety, crimes against the constitutional order and security of the state, and crimes against peace and humanity, which qualify as serious and particularly serious offenses under the Russian Criminal Code.

The prohibition also extends to those who have committed similar crimes within the territories of the EAEU member states. For taxi drivers, the list of disqualifying offenses also includes other crimes such as murder, human trafficking, robbery, banditry, and crimes against sexual integrity and personal sexual freedom. However, the driving ban is not limited to serious and particularly serious convictions but also includes those convicted of medium gravity crimes.

It is noted that the provisions of the law apply to foreign citizens who are nationals of EAEU member states.