New monopolist in Khujand: residents complain about expensive Jura-taxi service

Residents of Khujand complain that reliable and inexpensive taxi operators have suddenly disappeared from the city, and in their place, a new “Jura-taxi” has appeared with noticeably high prices.

On Tuesday, May 12, a source from Khujand, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Azda TV that previously, taxi operators “666” and “0110” provided timely and affordable taxi services in the city. However, several days ago, they all suddenly disappeared.

According to the source, a new taxi operator “Jura” has now appeared in Khujand. The prices for this operator’s services are noticeably higher. Additionally, the quality of service is much worse than that of the old operators, with taxis arriving late after being called.

He stated that previously he could get to a certain place for 10-12 somoni, but the new operator charges 15 somoni or even more.

Another source of ours confirmed the above statement, reporting that the “Jura-taxi” company has completely monopolized the taxi operator market in Khujand. Now, no one is allowed to engage in private transportation without permission from this company.

“Previously, residents deported from Russia worked in taxis before finding permanent jobs. Now, this is almost impossible,” our interlocutor stated.

Residents of the capital, Dushanbe, have also complained about this company, as well as the sudden disappearance of other taxi operators. Capital residents have also reported high prices and low service quality from this company.

Taxi drivers have also complained that this operator requires them to pay the company 100 somoni (about $10) for a day’s work. If a car is rented, an additional 200-250 somoni (about $20-25) must be paid for the car rental. Everything the driver earns beyond these payments goes to the driver.

Earlier this year, during a press conference, Transport Minister Azim Ibrohim was asked about taxi issues in the capital and the monopoly of the “Jura-taxi” company. In response, he stated that he could not intervene in this and other situations faced by passengers and taxi drivers.

When the transport minister openly acknowledged that he could not control the taxi sector in the capital, many observers noted that the reason might be the company’s connections with the president’s children or relatives, or with a high-ranking official.

Experts note that the “Jura-taxi” company is pushing out all operators from most cities in Tajikistan and is effectively monopolizing the market. After the company’s emergence, other taxi operators disappear. The likelihood that this company is state-owned is very low. However, there is a high probability that the company belongs to a high-ranking official or one of the close relatives of Emomali Rahmon. According to them, the company in Tajikistan cannot become a monopolist in the taxi market nationwide without having close ties to the president’s family.