The increase in public transport fares has outraged the residents of Makhachkala.

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The fare for public transport in Makhachkala has increased from 32 to 37 rubles, which outraged the residents who complained that the transport runs irregularly, the service is not up to standard, and the city administration does not take people's opinions into account.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in May 2024, Makhachkala transport operators appealed to the authorities requesting approval for a fare increase for minibuses from 27 rubles to 35 rubles. The fare increased to 32 rubles, which provoked criticism from the residents.

The Makhachkala administration informed on its Telegram channel on August 3 that the decision to raise the fare for public transport from 32 to 37 rubles was made in accordance with Federal Law No. 220-FZ, which allows carriers on unregulated routes to adjust fares within economically justified limits. The price increase was noted as a response to rising costs faced by transport companies, according to the city administration.

The city authorities reported that requests from carriers to review fares began arriving at the administration as early as April 2026. Transport companies justified this by stating that fares had not changed since 2024, and during this time there has been a significant increase in costs for fuel, spare parts, maintenance, and salaries for drivers and technical staff.

And doesn't the Makhachkala administration want to ensure a proper level of service?

Commentators criticized the decision to raise the fare. "And doesn't the Makhachkala administration want to ensure a proper level of service? So that air conditioners work, transport runs on schedule, and not whenever the carrier wants, but according to the timetable? Or should people travel on one leg in overcrowded minibuses? Where are the privileged categories of citizens?" - wrote Khusain.

"Where is the state public transport? With a salary of 30,000, how can families with children pay such a high fare? To school for classes and back, for those with two or three children, commuting to work, sometimes with transfers. Get rid of these private minibuses, launch large buses, state transport or trolleybuses like before," - wrote an anonymous user.

It should be noted that on June 29, the Makhachkala administration reported that no fare increases in the city are expected in the near future. "The city administration stated that no applications or notifications from carriers about plans to raise fares have been received," - quoted a representative of the city administration by RIA "Dagestan".

A driver of route No. 25, when asked by a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" about the reasons for the fare increase, said that he had just learned about it. "They told me to stick up a notice with the new price; the contactless payment validators were reprogrammed to the new fare overnight," - he reported, adding that since August 3, they have raised the daily plan they must meet from 6,000 to 7,000 rubles.

The residents of Makhachkala were outraged by the news of the fare increase. "I was going to work in the morning and saw the announcement that the fare is 37 rubles. I work in a budget institution, my salary is small, and I commute to work and back with transfers. It turns out I now have to pay more than 500 rubles extra for transport every month," - lamented Zoya.

Expenses will increase by at least a thousand rubles

"Due to the increase in fuel prices, we switched to public transport. And now there's news of a fare increase. My wife and I take turns driving the kids to school, going to work, and then picking them up. Expenses will increase by at least a thousand rubles," - said Gadzhimurad.

"Again, everything was done behind closed doors, under pressure from private carriers. Is the administration really so toothless that it can't do anything to maintain fares?" - wonders Arthur.

In November 2025, the deputy director of the transport company Magomed Taymaskhanov stated that according to his calculations, the economically justified fare on urban routes is 80 rubles. "This amount is primarily made up of the cost of transport and depreciation expenses for its operation. According to the Ministry of Transport's order, our profitability is only 9.6 percent. With a fare below 40 rubles, we will not be able to continue operating. For the company to function without losses, the fare should be around 93 rubles. We understand that this is too much for the population, so we ask to set the fare at least at 40 rubles. Although formally we have the right to set the fare ourselves, just notifying the administration a month in advance," - Taymaskhanov stated, whose statement was published by the Makhachkala city administration's Telegram channel.

Recall that on August 1, residents of Dagestan complained that gasoline prices remain high, but instead of measures to reduce them, officials announced checks on previously closed gas stations to resume their operation, local residents stated on social media.

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