"I won't take you." A taxi driver in Minsk refused to transport a child

But the driver "turned away" the passengers, advising them to choose the "Children's" fare. Yulia had repeatedly encountered problems with the latter: according to the girl, cars in less than ideal technical condition arrived, writes Onliner.by.

— The day before yesterday, my daughter and her grandmother went to a Christmas tree event at the National Library. When I ride in a taxi with my child, I always carry a booster seat with me (perhaps that's why I've never been refused a ride). But this time, it was unclear if the booster could be left in the cloakroom, so I didn't want to "burden" my pensioner grandmother with it.

The event ended, and I started calling a taxi. I should note: for my daughter, I always choose "Business" – there are adequate drivers and safe cars there. I also had an experience with the "Children's" fare: once, a very worn-out and dirty Honda Civic arrived with a nervous driver. I still vividly remember that ride – how the man revved the engine to keep it from stalling! Afterward, very specific cars also came for me on the "Children's" fare. Even the drivers themselves explained to me: this fare is a last chance for some not to be disconnected from the service. Due to their low rating, they have few orders, so they "shove" a car seat in – and continue to earn money. By the way, "Business" previously always had booster seats, but now they don't.

Returning to the situation the day before yesterday, Yulia recounts: the atmosphere in the city was tense. Roads were busy, fares were increased… The girl tried to find a "Business" car with a booster, but drivers without them were called twice, and she canceled the ride. Simultaneously, she monitored the children's fare, hoping to "catch" a good car. But this strategy yielded no results. So Yulia finally settled on "Business."

— I thought: at least a reliable car would arrive. So, I ordered, and I received a notification that the car was on its way. The grandmother and granddaughter went out to the bus stop. The child, after the holiday, was dressed up, of course, but not very warmly — definitely not for a long walk.

And then I received a message from the driver: he doesn't have a booster, and he won't take the child. He advised choosing the "Children's" fare. I explained my reluctance to call that fare, but the driver simply replied: he doesn't transport children.

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He himself did not cancel the order; he waited for me to do it. Of course, I couldn't stick to my principles: the child and grandmother, I repeat, were already freezing at the bus stop. I called another car — it arrived in 15 minutes, and the driver did not refuse the ride. The grandmother and granddaughter happily got home.

What frustrates me is that there's no option to transport a child in a car seat/booster and simultaneously in a good car. You have to choose between a car seat and a comfortable and safe car. When you read stories about a drunk Mercedes driver "destroying" a Skoda on M2, where there was a car seat, but nothing was left of the car itself, while the Mercedes was intact (as were everyone in it), you realize that a booster/car seat is not a panacea.

Did the taxi driver have the right to refuse a ride with a child?

First, let's refer to the traffic regulations (ПДР), more precisely — to paragraph 178. In a taxi vehicle, children can be transported without restraint devices. And a taxi driver cannot refuse to transport a passenger with a child, which has been repeatedly explained by the Ministry of Transport and the Transport Inspectorate.

However, conflicts are not uncommon: taxi drivers, upon seeing a child among potential passengers, sometimes refuse a ride, citing the absence of a car seat and the possibility of receiving a fine from the State Traffic Inspectorate (ГАИ). We have already contacted the State Traffic Inspectorate for a comment on such situations. They explained: if a GAI officer sees a child being transported without a car seat, they ascertain all circumstances, including asking the driver if they work as a taxi driver. If the driver says no (which was often done by those whose documents were not in order), they are fined under part 5, article 18.14 of the Administrative Offenses Code — for violating passenger transportation rules.

It turns out, the answer to the posed question is obvious. However, Yulia sent us a response from the service's support team regarding her complaint: they stated that a driver from a Yandex partner taxi fleet is allowed to refuse (apparently, according to internal rules) a ride if the passenger has not selected the "Children's" fare. It seems these discrepancies are precisely why misunderstandings arise. However, if a passenger files a complaint against the driver with the Transport Inspectorate, the decision will be made in accordance with the law.

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