Inside Krasnodar | 2008

Travel on the streets of Krasnodar just got a whole lot easier. All of Krasnodar is talking about a “crazy” new taxi service called Maria Rafaela Taxi, which is, gasp, using Mercedes B Class 170 white minivans. The taxi service which sponsored a music concert in the main square to celebrate its launch yesterday, should quickly capture significant market share on the local market.

The owner, V.B. Mayerov, is best known as the local entrepreneur who built a chain of very popular clothing shops also called Maria Rafaela. In May, Mr. Mayerov soft launched his new taxi service. At first, folks were both surprised and confused. Surprised that anyone would choose Mercedes as the vehicle for a local taxi service. Confused because the taxis didn’t have telephone numbers on them (they do now) and the brand Maria Rafaela has, until now, been known for the clothing chain.

After taking Maria Rafaela taxis the past two days, I think residents’ surprise and confusion will quickly turn into delight and demand. The rates charged by Maria Rafaela may been slightly higher than other taxis but they are also standardized. The rate is 20 Rubles for each kilometer. I live 8 kilometers from my office so the ride costs 160 Rubles or $6.40. Not cheap but not expensive either.

My wife, daughter, and I were very satisfied with our first ride in a Maria Rafaela taxi. We called the main number +7-861-299-0000 and were greeted with a pleasant and competent dispatcher who asked where we were and where we wanted to go. The dispatcher then told us to hold on while she determined the nearest cab. The company currently has 120 taxis and expects to have over 200 by year end (I believe the vehicles are leased). So the wait is never more than 15 minutes max. Our wait was 7 minutes. When the taxi got to our apartment the dispatcher called us back to let us know.

The driver got out of the car and opened our doors. He was clean shaven (a rule) and even smiled when he greeted us (unusual). The taxi itself is clean and air conditioned (a necessity when the temperature reaches 98 degrees like it did all last week). We chatted with the driver and he told us that the owner, Mr. Mayerov, has emphasized that the drivers themselves should be on par with the Mercedes automobiles. Both drivers I have met have been impressive.

The jury is still out whether the business model will be successful.