The annual increase in fares is causing a storm of indignation among the population. The increase in the cost of travel in public transport is not a personal whim of the carrier companies, but depends on a number of economic factors.
The rise in prices for travel in public transport (as well as the rise in prices for food, utilities, etc.) is primarily associated with inflation. When the cost of transportation becomes higher than the profit, the management of the trucking company contacts the Regional Tariff Service. They provide a detailed estimate, drawn up with the prices for fuels and lubricants, electricity, etc. that have already increased due to inflation. The increase in prices for the services of intercity carriers may be caused by an increase in the length of the route. For example, if the length of the route was 20 km, and then it was decided to extend it to the next settlement, then the fee for the additional distance may be included in the fare. All calculations are carried out by a specialized commission, guided by the regulations of the region. A concomitant factor in increasing the fare is a decrease in subsidies from the budget. These payments are intended to cover a part of unprofitable transportation, free travel for beneficiaries and other socially significant expenses. In addition, in order to avoid protests and strikes, it is necessary to increase the wages of drivers, towards whom trucking companies have a number of social obligations. The depreciation of the existing vehicle fleet also encourages carriers to raise fares. After all, the cost of repairs and new spare parts is growing from year to year. Tariff growth is monitored by government agencies such as the Federal and Regional Tariffs Administration. But there are cases when private entrepreneurs engaged in carriage, arbitrarily and unreasonably, raised prices for their services. The first signal of unauthorized price increases is a sudden increase in fares, while the agreed fare increases are announced in the local media at least two weeks before the increase. In the event of an unauthorized increase in tariffs, the plates with the old prices are removed, and with the new ones, they are not posted, so that in case of verification, the fact of the increase in prices cannot be confirmed by anything.
