On March 1 of this year, amendments were made to the federal law "On Licensing Certain Types of Activities," requiring all passenger transportation by bus to be licensed. However, experts emphasize that it is difficult to meet the requirements for Obtaining a license will be quite difficult, which may cause problems for tour companies operating bus tours.
Thus, according to paragraph 24 of Article 12 of the aforementioned federal law, all passenger transportation activities by bus are now subject to licensing. Exceptions include government service buses and transportation not using public roads.
As Georgy Mokhov, founder of the legal agency Persona Grata, explained to TRN, charter bus companies now have 120 days to obtain a license. Otherwise, they will be unable to operate after this period. However, according to Mr. Mokhov, this will be quite difficult. "The licensing requirements are very complex, and it will be difficult to comply with them," he explained.
Incidentally, experts have long been warning that the new rules are difficult to implement. According to representatives of the transport community, the initial draft of the Government Resolution "On Approval of the Regulation on Licensing the Transportation of Passengers and Other Persons by Bus" contained excessive requirements that were completely unenforceable for most transport companies, especially small businesses and individual entrepreneurs, owners of company vehicles, and educational institutions with "school" buses. During public discussions, a number of significant and beneficial changes were made to the draft. However, some excessive and unenforceable measures remain. Most notably, these include the requirement to obtain a license or to add additional buses to the register.
As Anvar Mingazov, director of the tour operator company "Another Dimension," explained to the TRN portal, his experience working with carriers shows that no piece of paper guarantees the quality of transportation services. "Therefore, the addition of additional obstacles to this business will only complicate things for carriers and, as a result, could become an additional reason for higher transportation costs. This already happened when traffic police notifications were introduced. In Kazan, carriers charge either a higher hourly rate or a fixed fee for processing these notifications for servicing children's groups. And all this is just paperwork that complicates the organization of tours. The market and competition have already put everything in place. Those who provide high-quality and reliable services survive and thrive. Why license? Only to reassure regulators," the expert said.
It's worth noting that the problem of bus tourism in Russia is currently extremely acute, especially for children's groups. During the roundtable discussion "Tourist Sightseeing Buses: Prospects, Specifics, and Challenges," which took place on January 18, experts noted a sharp deterioration in the passenger transport situation. "International bus tours have almost ceased. Buses in large cities, especially Moscow, are unable to pick up and drop off passengers near museums, tourist sites, and hotels. Buses cannot use dedicated lanes. With dozens of passengers, they are forced to sit in general traffic jams. There is no parking space for buses while groups of tourists are exploring museums or attractions. There are not enough parking spaces in the city. There are no designated bus parking areas on federal highways with sufficient restrooms and the necessary infrastructure. "Intercity and tourist bus drivers often simply don't have the opportunity to stop to comply with work and rest schedule requirements," stated the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation's report following a meeting of industry representatives.
Source: trn-news.ru