The first Orthodox Christian Cossack taxi service in Russia will soon start operating in St. Petersburg.
One of the reasons the Cossack taxi service was introduced in the northern capital is the large number of illegal taxi drivers from Central Asia on the city's streets, said Andrei Polyakov, head of the Orthodox Cossack union Irbis.
They are a danger for city residents, do not pay taxes and interfere with the work of legitimate taxi drivers, Polyakov said, Interfax reported.
He added that out of 700 members of Irbis, about 200 are retired servicemen who are not permanently employed and are ready to work as taxi drivers.
The new taxi service will work predominantly in residential districts of St. Petersburg.
“We are currently completing registration, while the taxi cabs, which will have their own markings on the sides and the hood, are being tuned up,” the head of the Cossack union said.
The new taxi service hopes to be able to start serving St. Petersburg residents at the end of the month or by late February at the very latest, Polyakov said.
He added that the new enterprise has received a blessing from an Orthodox priest, who is also a member of the Irbis Cossack union.
