For two weeks now, among the residents of the capital, rumors about the appearance of a new player in the country’s taxi service market have not ceased.  There are already announcements about the imminent appearance of Yandex go application in Dushanbe in App Store and Google Play Market stores.  

Yandex go is an app to request rides, order food from restaurants, carsharing or send items across city.

Carsharing is a membership based service available to all qualified drivers in a community. No separate written agreement is required each time a member reserves and uses a vehicle. All CSOs offer members access to a dispersed network of shared vehicles 24-hours, 7 days a week at unattended self-service locations.

A representative and an advertising agent of Yandex Go in Dushanbe have confirmed that the company is going to enter Tajikistan’s taxi services market.

“We are currently testing the service in Tajikistan.  Follow our news - we will announce the official launch soon,” Ms. Elmaz Barkhonova, an advertising agent of Yandex Go in Dushanbe, said.     

“They [Yandex go] started their work in Tajikistan quite recently, about two months ago.  We are already monitoring their targets, marketing, announcements and other things.  They are already in the process of hiring staff.  They say anyone can go to them and get a job.  I don't know where their office is or how to contact them,” an employee of one of leading taxi companies operating in Dushanbe told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

Owned by the Russia-based internet company Yandex, Yandex go (called Yango in some countries) is a ride-hailing, delivery and e-grocery service operating in more than 1,000 cities, including 300 large cities across Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Finland, Ghana, Romania, Norway, and Bolivia.  In the latter seven countries, it operates under a brand called Yango.  More than 700,000 drivers are reportedly connected to the network.