How to start a taxi service from scratch with UpTaxi
You can launch a taxi service in a city of 30,000 to 500,000 residents without buying software, a server or a PBX. Below is a step-by-step plan, a list of what you’ll need, the startup software budget and the mistakes most often made at launch.
Step-by-step launch plan
A short week-by-week version of the plan with twenty printable items is in the “Open a taxi service in 30 days” checklist.
- Legal setup. Register a sole proprietorship or LLC and get familiar with the requirements of Federal Law 580-FZ: the register of taxi ordering services, carrier permits, waybills. Learn more on the Federal Law 580-FZ page.
- Phone number. Get a short, memorable multi-line number from a local carrier or SIP provider. In small towns, “the number everyone knows” is still the main order channel.
- Apply to UpTaxi. Send a request, and within one business day we’ll prepare a cloud server for your company, load your city map and set up fares and zones.
- Operator workstation. A regular computer with 4 GB of RAM running Windows 7 64-bit or later, a headset and a 1 Mbps internet connection is enough. We install the software and connect telephony remotely.
- Driver recruitment. Each driver needs an Android smartphone with GPS and the “UpTaxi Driver” app, or the driver bot in Max, which works without installing an app, on a weak connection and even without GPS. Driver applications can be submitted through the service’s website or from another driver’s app — the driver-to-driver referral program is included.
- Ordering channels for customers. Besides the phone, from day one you get the “UpTaxi Taxi” app, a simple website for your service, ordering bots in Telegram and Max, and an LLM voice robot (AI voice operator) that answers calls and books orders on its own. You can order a branded app later.
- Training and trial. We train your dispatchers and owner, then go live on real orders. The first 30 days are free for services with 50+ completed orders per day.
What you need to launch
| Item | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Internet | Wired connection of 1 Mbps or more (10 Mbps or more recommended) |
| Operator computer | 4 GB RAM, Windows 7 64-bit or later, monitor 1280×800 or higher, headset with microphone |
| Telephony | Multi-line number and SIP line; alternatively, a GSM modem or VoIP gateway for analog lines |
| Drivers | Android smartphone with GPS and mobile internet |
| Server, PBX | Not needed — they run in the UpTaxi cloud on Asterisk PBX |
See the full list on the launch requirements page.
What the software costs at launch
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| License, server, installation, setup, training | 0 ₽ |
| Daily fee | 150 ₽ per day (4,500 ₽ per 30 days); 0 ₽ during the trial |
| Commission | 10% of driver commissions at 0–100 orders per day, charged on each completed order |
| Prepayment if you start with fewer than 50 orders per day | 1,000 ₽, non-refundable, instead of the free trial |
| Branded app (optional) | 20,000 ₽ per platform, Android or iOS |
| Call handling by a third-party call center (optional) | 1 ₽ per accepted order + 4 ₽ per completed order |
Total startup investment in software: 0 to 1,000 ₽. The rest of the budget goes to the phone number, SIP line, advertising and, if needed, operator salaries. If you have no operators at launch, you can hand call handling to one of eight call centers inside the system and pay only for accepted orders. More about pricing.
How much a taxi service can earn
Before you open a service, run the numbers: how many orders your cars will get, how much income driver commissions will bring and what’s left after paying for software, operators and advertising. The calculator uses UpTaxi rates and typical costs for a small town; you can replace any figure with your own.
How much your taxi service will earn
Enter the number of cars and your town's average figures. The calculator shows turnover, the service's income from driver commission, the UpTaxi cost, the cost of order intake and profit after expenses.
Other monthly service expenses (editable)
| Item | Per month |
|---|
Operators are a taxi service's biggest expense. In UpTaxi, phone orders handled by the LLM voice robot are free: the robot is included in the price. The remaining calls are taken by one of eight call centers inside the system at 1 ₽ per accepted and 4 ₽ per completed order, 5 ₽ in total, with no minimum payment. Orders from the app and the Telegram and Max bots are free. Your own operators are estimated as a round-the-clock team: at least 4 people, plus one for every 150 phone orders per day, at the salary you enter.
This is an estimate: 30 days per month, UpTaxi billed at 150 ₽ per day plus 10% of driver commission at 0–100 orders per day, 9% at 101–300, 8% at 301–500, and only 7% with no daily fee from 501 orders. The shares of phone and robot orders, operator salary and other expenses are typical figures, replace them with your own. Taxes are not included.
Common mistakes when opening a taxi service
Buying software and a server before the first orders
A license costing hundreds of thousands of rubles and your own server are costs you never get back if the business doesn’t take off. A cloud model with per-order payment lets you test demand in your city without these investments.
Hiring full-shift operators from day one
While orders are few, operators sit idle, but you still have to pay them. Start with the LLM voice robot, which books phone orders on its own, and a distributed call center, and hire staff once order flow is steady.
Dispatching orders “as the crow flies” or manually
The driver closest on the map is often across the river or on the opposite lane with no place to turn around. UpTaxi’s automatic dispatch calculates distance on the road graph, taking one-way streets into account. Pickups are faster, and customers don’t go to a competitor.
Not monitoring drivers
Without tracks, a taximeter and in-app ratings, a service can’t tell who closes orders early or overcharges customers. UpTaxi includes order tracks, distance-to-passenger control and a complaint system.
Putting off work with your customer base
A customer who once waited for a car that never came won’t call a second time. Bonuses for failed orders, a referral program and in-app trip history help retain customers from the first month.
Ignoring Federal Law 580-FZ
Passing orders to carriers without a permit puts the service at risk of fines. Keep records of drivers and orders from day one.
Launch your taxi service in one day
Send a request. We’ll prepare a server, connect your number and train your first dispatcher. The first 30 days are free.
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