Yandex plans to test its robotaxi service among ordinary passengers in Moscow in 2026. According to the company's plan, the cars will have a test driver behind the wheel for now.
The head of Yandex Taxi, Alexander Anikin, said that passengers will be randomly assigned to an autonomous taxi, but they will be able to refuse such a trip if they wish.
At the first stage, robotaxi will be launched in several districts of the city - in an area large enough to meet real transport demand. According to the company's calculations, the fare for such taxis will be the same as for regular cars.
The issue of liability in the event of accidents has not yet been regulated. According to Anikin, if the incident occurred for a "constructive" reason, the manufacturer should be responsible, and in the event of problems arising during "operation", the operator.
Yandex has been working on autonomous vehicles since 2017. The first tests in Russia were held in 2018 in Innapolis and Moscow. In June 2023, the company launched a robotaxi service in a test mode in the Yasenevo district of Moscow, and in October in Sirus.
