The capital has been under a curfew for three years, but that hasn't stopped illegal taxi services operating at night, violating martial law. By law, traveling around the city during this period is only permitted with an official permit issued by the authorities. However, it has been revealed that some drivers are receiving fake documents purchased through corrupt channels for $300-$500.
Due to a shortage of official permits and high demand for night transportation, fares for such trips reach 4 thousand hryvnias. Tax control over these operations is virtually absent, which allows carriers to avoid paying taxes and reporting.
The Kyiv City Military Administration acknowledges the problem and says it is working to address it. In particular, it is implementing a digitalization of the permit issuance process to completely abandon paper versions, and it is also planning to review the procedure for issuing permits for movement during curfew hours. This is expected to increase transparency and help stop the activities of illegal carriers.
During the journalistic investigation, it became known that among night carriers, the popular Uklon service is also actively operating. Although the company officially announced the suspension of work during the curfew on March 15, it is now gradually restoring night mode, having agreements with the Lviv authorities and waiting for permits in Kyiv and other large cities. The question of who exactly issues passes to drivers and according to what criteria remains unanswered.
Uklon has an offshore structure: Uklon Ltd. is registered in Cyprus and owns the rights to the trademarks and software of the platform. Thanks to this scheme, the Ukrainian founders optimize tax obligations. Officially, the service does not position itself as a taxi service, but only as an intermediary between drivers and passengers, which allows it to avoid mandatory licensing.
The lack of effective control, shadow passes, and offshore schemes of major market players create conditions for impunity for violating the law and enriching oneself during war.
