How to open your own minibus business. Route business: how to open a minibus

Residents of Russian cities have chosen transport - a fixed-route taxi, a distinctive feature of which is speed and comfort. People willingly use it, and even the absence of travel benefits does not stop them. Along with the increase in demand, the popularity of the route business is also growing.

Multifaceted business

Among other types of urban transport fixed-route taxis are in the lead. Their number exceeds the rest by several times. Only in the Russian capital there are about several tens of thousands of minibuses. If this type of business were unprofitable, it would not expand at such a rate. This is precisely the answer to the question for those who still doubt whether it is worth opening a route business.

In addition to the main income from collecting tolls, the owner of such a business can count on additional income from the following sources:

  • In the interior of the minibus advertising is placed in various forms: posters, booklets, business cards. In this case, the cabin seats are used, from which it is more advantageously presented to passengers. During the movement from one stop to another, a person can study the information in detail and even write down contacts. The advertiser pays the owner of the minibus for the placement of their materials.
  • The outer surface of the vehicle can also become a place for advertising. Advertising information is applied to a special film that covers the car. Such colorful, catchy information costs the advertiser a lot, but it gives a high effect, which is beneficial to both parties.
  • Order transportation. These can be excursion routes, wedding celebrations and other events that require the movement of groups of people.

The main stages of organizing a route business

First of all, it is necessary to clarify all the nuances in the transport inspection in terms of the availability of the necessary documentation and the fulfillment of the conditions. The future entrepreneur will be required that his car meets the technical requirements for passenger transport and can carry at least 8 people. You will also need with the necessary qualifications: drivers, dispatchers and a paramedic.

After paying the state fee for consideration of the application and issuance of the main document, the Russian Ministry of Transport issues a license that is valid for 5 years. The amount of the fee depends on the region. It can be different depending on the size of the settlement: from 350 to 500 dollars. A separate record card is maintained for each transport unit.

Preparation for the issuance of a license lasts up to 1 month. Doing business without a license will be followed by an administrative penalty - a large fine.

A fixed-route taxi can be organized as or.

To open a private minibus, you need to collect the following documents:

  • charter;
  • founders agreement;
  • state registration (certificate);
  • certificate of registration;
  • assigned codes by the statistical office;
  • bank details;
  • lease agreement for the use of a parking lot;
  • addresses - legal and physical;
  • technical passports for cars;
  • documents confirming the technical inspection of vehicles;
  • driver's licenses, employment records of hired drivers.

Is opening a fixed-route taxi a profitable investment? Such services are very popular in our country. Residents of large cities and small towns prefer this type of transport for quick movement and travel comfort. As a result, demand is growing every day. People use taxi services every day. This type of public transport is especially popular in megacities, where it ranks first among all types of ground transportation.

  • How to open a fixed-route taxi?
  • What documents are needed to run minibuses
  • What cars are better to choose for business?
  • Putting the car on the route
  • Selection of drivers for work on a fixed-route taxi
  • How much can you earn on taxis
  • How to start a taxi business
  • How much can you earn on a taxi
  • How to choose transport for a fixed-route taxi
  • What documents are needed to open a business

In addition to paying for travel, passenger transport also brings additional profit, which once again proves the profitability of the business. Advertising inside your car is a good source of additional income. It can be banners, booklets, flyers and other printed materials. They bring good money to the owner of the vehicle. Such products should be placed in places that are visible to passengers.

The car body can also be used as a place for advertising. The design of the vehicle is carried out by employees of an advertising agency using a film with a colorful pattern. Despite the fact that this is the most expensive type of advertising, it is gaining more and more popularity. The owner of the vehicle can organize bus tours and excursions, provide a car for rent. If all this prompted you to open a minibus, the business plan below will help you start your business the right way.

How to open a fixed-route taxi?

What documents are needed to run minibuses

First of all, you should obtain permission to carry out passenger transportation. To do this, contact the city department of transport inspection. It is mandatory that vehicles comply with the requirements of supervisory authorities. It is necessary to hire workers who have a driver's license of the appropriate category and have passed certification.

The license is issued for 5 years, to obtain it, you must pay 2 types of state duty. Each vehicle has a separate registration card. You can register an enterprise engaged in passenger transportation as an individual entrepreneur or LLC. When starting a route business, a novice entrepreneur should know that the most important document is a license for the right to carry out transportation. It is issued by the Ministry of Transport.

What cars are better to choose for business?

The type of cars purchased depends on the financial capabilities of the entrepreneur. Do not try to reduce your initial investment by buying used cars. In one shift, the minibus travels a fairly long distance. This is important to know when starting your own business. A used car is not capable of covering such distances on a daily basis, which leads to constant breakdowns.

Gazelle cars with 13 seats are considered the most reliable. No less often on the roads are 18-seat Ford Transit and 19-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Gazelles have an attractive cost, but they are not able to provide proper comfort. With limited financial resources, you should use the services of leasing.

Putting the car on the route

A business plan for a fixed-route taxi must necessarily include the route development stage.

To obtain a route for passenger transportation, the owner of the car must contact the local administration. They arrange tenders for the organization of transportation, in which a novice businessman can also participate. Transportation of passengers on the most popular routes begins to generate income from the first shift. You can develop a new route. To do this, it is necessary to carefully study the infrastructure of the city, to think through all the subtleties well. With the right approach, the transportation of passengers on new routes will begin to make a profit. However, you will still encounter some difficulties. Passengers will need some time to get used to the new route. A small revenue is not able to cover current expenses.

Selection of drivers for work on a fixed-route taxi

The next step is recruitment. The issue of hiring drivers should be approached with special responsibility, because the lives of passengers depend on their qualifications. In addition to category D drivers, you will need an accountant, a dispatcher, a medical worker who will carry out pre-trip inspections. It will be useful to independently control the condition of vehicles. Driver negligence is the main cause of car breakdowns. The employee must have a 5-year driving experience of vehicles of this category and a medical certificate.

The driver's salary consists of a fixed part and bonuses for exceeding the production rate.

This approach allows you to motivate the employee to fulfill and overfulfill the plan. Like any other type of business, a fixed-route taxi requires a large initial investment. Payback depends on many factors.

How much can you earn on taxis

In order to determine the profitability of the route business, it is necessary to determine the daily revenue. One car is able to bring from 3 to 5 thousand rubles daily. Of these, 1,000 rubles are deducted for the driver's wages, 500 rubles for the compulsory insurance fund, and 1,000 rubles for fuel and car repairs. Thus, net profit will range from 500 to 2500 rubles. Tax fees range from 1 to 7 thousand rubles per unit of transport. The total amount depends on the number of cars in the fleet. Running costs are determined by the condition of the car. For example, domestic gazelles consume at least 15 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

In order to save money, the territory for the car park can be rented outside the city. When forming a large enterprise, it is possible to conclude contracts for the supply of fuel and spare parts. It is most profitable to open a fixed-route taxi in a large city. On a flat road, fuel is more economical, and customers are almost always there.

You also need to think about setting the fare, it should not be too high, but do not forget about the need to cover current expenses.

How to start a taxi business

The passenger transportation business begins with registration with state authorities. It takes 3-4 weeks to get the status of a passenger carrier. It is also necessary to obtain a license for the transport of passengers from the Ministry of Transport. It is also necessary to approve the route of transport. It is necessary to take into account the point of compulsory insurance of passengers.

It is necessary to purchase vehicles for the fleet, the decisive factor here will be the cost of the car and the funds available to the entrepreneur. After choosing a transport, it is necessary to hire drivers, as well as organize a work schedule and pay for their work. After that, you can send transport to routes.

How much can you earn on a taxi

The profitability of the business depends on the daily revenue from one vehicle. The average income from one car is 4,000 - 5,000 rubles, after deducting the driver's salary, insurance premiums, and the cost of fuel, the net profit will be about 1,000 - 2,000 rubles per car.

How to choose transport for a fixed-route taxi

The main choice of transport category lies in the available means, between foreign and domestic vehicles the difference in price is about 200%. The GAZelle car has a small capacity of 8 - 15 passengers, low security, and therefore a low cost. Imported analogues of Peugeot Boxer, Ford Transit and Iveco Daily are distinguished by a larger passenger capacity of 16-26 seats, they are much more reliable and last longer. Purchasing cars from hand carries great risks that will lead to problems with the repair and maintenance of vehicles. It is necessary to clarify the availability of the necessary documents for the car, specifically OTTS. It is possible to get advice from a certified seller, as well as warranty service.

What documents are needed to open a business

For the procedure for transporting passengers by fixed-route taxi to the local Ministry of Transport, it is necessary to present the following documents:

  • registration document;
  • copies of vehicle inspection;
  • memorandum of association;
  • bank accounts, addresses and contact numbers;
  • a document that testifies to tax accounting;
  • statistical codes;
  • parking contract;
  • certificate of PC and DB;
  • employment records and driver's licenses of employees.

Do I need permission to run minibuses

It is necessary to obtain a state license to transport more than 8 people by road.

Today, many consider business ideas as promising, the implementation of which allows you to exploit existing personal property for the purpose of generating income. This, on the one hand, guarantees the implementation of their own skills and abilities, on the other hand, it eliminates additional expenses for organizing a business, which is important in an unstable economic situation. For those who own a passenger Gazelle, Ford Transit or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and other similar models of vehicles, business ideas in the field of passenger transportation by the type of fixed-route taxi may come in handy. Such a business has many advantages, in particular - high stable demand. Even in large cities, the population, according to studies of the transport services market, is provided with transportation by fixed-route taxi only by 50% of the effective demand. There are many routes that are not covered by mass transportation at all, except for the traditional taxi, which is not available to every consumer.

How to buy a fixed-route taxi with a route

The first option - the simplest in terms of its technical implementation - is to contact companies that offer to buy a ready-made business. This will save you from registration procedures, licensing activities, registration, and a number of other mandatory organizational issues. On the other hand, such a sale of a ready-made business will require additional investments, and if the budget for them is not provided, you can try to open a business on your own. For this you need:

  • obtain a vehicle license from the transport inspectorate at the place of residence of the entrepreneur. There are certain requirements for cars that are operated as a fixed-route taxi, and the car will need to be brought into line with them;
  • obtain a special certificate for the right to carry out passenger transportation, if necessary - undergo appropriate training. Driving license category D is needed. After certification of drivers, a license is issued, which is valid for the next five years;
  • the license for the right to engage in passenger transportation is provided by the Ministry of Transport. It allows you to register as a fixed-route taxi, that is, to transport more than 8 people on a licensed vehicle equipped for passenger transportation.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

From 650 000 ₽

Starting investments

100 000 - 250 000 ₽

60 000 - 150 000 ₽

Net profit

11 months

Payback period

Minibus taxis are one of the most profitable and liquid types of auto business. However, launching it comes with many challenges that aspiring entrepreneurs need to keep in mind.

In most Russian cities, normal bus service is not developed. In frost, people are forced to stand idle at stops for half an hour, an hour, or even longer. You have to choose one of two evils: either you have to wait a long time for a single, but cheap bus, or you quickly get to your destination by an expensive taxi. Minibuses offer a third option: fast and inexpensive. In recent years, fixed-route taxis in many cities of Russia have become almost the main mode of transport, in some places displacing large public transport. They run more frequently than buses, they are more agile, they stop at stops on demand, and the conditions in the cabin are often more comfortable.

Trending Product 2019

Thousands of ideas for quick money. All world experience in your pocket..

The shortcomings of urban public transport systems and the growing demand for comfortable transportation from the population make the minibus business very promising for small businesses. You can open your own small business even if you don’t have your own fleet and car maintenance equipment. When operating one minibus, an entrepreneur can count on a profit 3-5 times higher than the level of average wages. It is not for nothing that passenger transportation is called one of the most profitable and liquid types of auto business, which beckons with its passive and easy income.

But, as you know, free cheese is only in a mousetrap. In the minibus business, not everything is as smooth and sweet as it seems to many from the outside. Therefore, before making plans for how many thousand rubles a day a minibus will bring you, we advise you to carefully familiarize yourself with the market in your region, analyze the competitive environment and communicate with people working in this area. It should be borne in mind that in some cities of the country minibuses are prohibited or serious restrictions are imposed on their activities.

After such a market analysis is carried out, a clearer picture will emerge in the head regarding the legal status and structure of the enterprise. Shuttle business is possible in many variations. You can acquire your own fleet of vehicles or work without it, provide only passenger transportation services or carry out other services (dispatching, maintenance, etc.). Most often, such a business is started either with budget buses, or by attracting drivers with their own cars.


What types of fixed-route taxis are there in Russia

You may have heard that there are different types of fixed-route taxis. Which, for example, may not have a strict binding to the route, and passengers in them may indicate new directions to the driver. So, consider that there are no such types of “minibuses without a route” or “minibuses-taxi” in Russia. At least, the legal concept of "route taxi" does not exist. Since 2013, minibuses have been equated by law with public transport, that is, buses, trams and trolleybuses. This means that the transportation of passengers and luggage in minibuses is carried out on a regular basis and on a regular route. Such transportation is carried out on the basis of a public contract and is defined by law as “transportation by public transport”. In fact, this means that in Russia today there are two types of minibuses, which:

    carry out transportation with embarkation and disembarkation of passengers at stopping points along the route of regular transportation;

    carry out transportation with embarkation and disembarkation of passengers in any place not prohibited by traffic rules along the route of regular transportation.

In addition, according to the Charter of Road Transport and Urban Ground Electric Transport, there are 4 types of passenger transport routes:

    Transportation in urban traffic. They are carried out within the boundaries of settlements.

    Transportation in suburban traffic. Carried out between settlements at a distance of up to 50 km inclusive between the borders of these settlements.

    Transportation in intercity traffic. Carried out between settlements at a distance of more than 50 km between the borders of these settlements.

    Transportation in international traffic. They are carried out outside the territory of the Russian Federation or into the territory of the Russian Federation with the crossing of its border, including in transit through the territory of the country.

If we talk about the transportation of passengers and luggage in general, then three types of transportation are legally fixed in Russia: these are regular transportation, transportation on orders and transportation by passenger taxis. And, as you already understood, the activity of minibuses falls under the first category. So a more correct name for this type of transport would not be “route taxi”, but “minibus” or “small bus”. In addition, a minibus usually means not municipal transport, but private transport, which operates only at the expense of proceeds from ticket sales.

What you need to open your minibus

In Russia, the operation of minibuses, like all other public transport, is regulated by Federal Law No. 220-FZ “On the organization of regular transportation of passengers and luggage by road ...” dated July 13, 2015 and the Charter of Road Transport and Urban Ground Transport.

So, current legislation requires all carriers to use a special parking lot for parking, and in order to transport passengers in the amount of more than 8 people, it is necessary to have a license, a route map or a certificate for the right to transport passengers issued by the authorized body of the municipal, regional or regional authorities.

One of the main state documents for the implementation of passenger road transport is considered a license. The presence of this document indicates that the carrier can ensure the complete safety of passengers, that its services comply with established norms and standards, and that drivers have the necessary experience. You can get a license if you have your own transport or rented.

To obtain a license for passenger transportation, it is necessary to collect an impressive package of documents and submit them to the territorial body of Rostransnadzor. It should be borne in mind that separate licenses are issued for each of the four types of transportation (urban, intercity, suburban and international).

The list of documents required to obtain a license for the carriage of passengers includes:

    certificate of registration of a legal entity;

    an application for obtaining a license, filled out in a specific form, where the type of transportation must be indicated;

    documents confirming the tax registration of a person;

    copies of documents regulated by the “Regulations on Licensing”;

    copies of the constituent documents of the enterprise, certified by a notary.


And that's just, let's say, the main documents. You will also need documents from drivers that confirm their work experience (work book) and the ability to drive vehicles (medical certificate for permission to drive vehicles), information about the premises in which maintenance and repair of vehicles is carried out, namely:

    copies of documents confirming the ownership of a specially equipped premises (extract from the register or contract);

    declaration of own parking;

    documents for technical equipment in the room;

    certificates or other documents confirming the compliance of the premises with generally accepted standards.

As additional documents, you will need an agreement for the implementation of a medical pre-trip examination of drivers, documents on the availability of the necessary transport, a vehicle registration certificate, a diagnostic card or a coupon for a technical inspection and the conclusion of a transport commission specialist.

Ready-made ideas for your business

The license is issued within 30-45 days after the application is submitted. Before submitting documents, you must pay a state duty in the amount of 7,500 rubles. If prior to 2011 licenses were issued for 5 years, now they are issued indefinitely. Before collecting documents, be sure to check the list on the official portal of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Transport, as the requirements may change. Both individual entrepreneurs and organizations can obtain a license to transport passengers. For activities without a license, an individual entrepreneur faces a fine of 100 thousand rubles, organizations - 400 thousand rubles. Moreover, in case of repeated violation, the violator will face not only a fine, but also the confiscation of the vehicle.

One of the stumbling blocks in the business of passenger transportation is the choice and coordination of the route. The fact is that no one will simply allow a novice entrepreneur to carry passengers where they want. In large cities, it is almost impossible to wedge into existing routes, the market there has long been divided. Free niches remained only in small settlements, and they are quite rare. The situation there is different. You can enter the market, for example, if the local bus fleet is very outdated and needs to be replaced, and the entrepreneur is ready to put new buses on the route. To find out if it is possible to get a route in a particular city, you need to contact the local department of transport or transport companies serving the routes and conclude an agreement with them to access these routes.


It is rather problematic to open new routes. They are developed by the Ministry of Transport of the region together with local governments, and a whole pile of papers is collected for their approval, including calculations of economic feasibility, organizational section, technological calculation, and so on. The choice of the carrier is carried out through tenders held by local administrations. It is almost impossible to win a tender without connections, especially when it comes to profitable routes.

Ready-made ideas for your business

To find out all the features of obtaining a permit for a route and entering this business in general, it is best for an entrepreneur to familiarize himself with its components from the inside in advance: namely, to communicate with bus owners and drivers and other knowledgeable people. It is quite possible that there may not be legal ways to obtain a route. And then they may demand an impressive amount of up to several hundred thousand rubles from a beginner. Moreover, the hope that the “one-time fee” will solve all cases may also be destroyed. It is no secret that those organizations that have managed to enter this business have to regularly maintain the goodwill of the inspection bodies.

Both carriers and passengers agree that the traditional Gazelle as a fixed-route taxi has already become obsolete. These cars do not enjoy popular love because of their uncomfortable size and too low ceilings. The capacity of an ordinary route Gazelle is 8 passenger seats, which is not very pleasing for carriers interested in the greatest financial return of their workhorses. On the other hand, Gazelle remains the most budget option for starting a business. A used car until 2010 can be purchased within 40-170 thousand rubles, a car from 2011-2013. will cost 210-350 thousand rubles, and newer Gazelles can be purchased for 400-890 thousand rubles. The new "Gazelle" will cost around 1 million rubles.

More capacious, elongated Gazelles for 12 seats will already cost around 1-1.3 million rubles. But with this kind of money, the entrepreneur has a much greater choice. For example, you can buy a good used minibus of one of the foreign brands, or add a couple of hundred thousand and buy a new Gazelle Next with a capacity of 18 people. 18 passenger seats (in various modifications up to 20-22 seats) is the most common capacity of minibuses today. In this class, you can find about a dozen options, the most popular of which are minibuses Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Classic, Ford Transit, Volkswagen Crafter, Iveco Daily, Citroen Jumper, Peugeot Boxer, GAZ Next and Hyundai County. Moreover, the assembly of the latter in Russia has not been carried out since 2014, as well as deliveries from South Korea have been stopped, so you can only purchase a used version.

Prices for the most popular taxi minibuses for 18-22 seats*


CAR MODEL

COST, THOUS. RUB.

until 2010

2011-2013

2014-2017

New (2018)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Classic

Volkswagen Crafter

*according to the Avto.ru website as of 01/25/2018

There is no consensus on which model is definitely better and more reliable. Of course, buying a used car as a fixed-route taxi is always a risk, so if you have limited financial resources, you should use leasing services. For legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, leasing is a great opportunity not only to lower the threshold for entering a business, but also to save money in the process of tax payments, since payments under leasing contracts can be accounted for as current costs attributable to prime cost.


What are the requirements for bus drivers?

The carrier's staff can be completed only by qualified drivers with category “D” licenses. At the same time, the driving experience in this category should not be less than 3 years. It is also necessary to have a medical certificate of admission to the management of transport. The number of suitable candidates is limited, therefore, private traders often sin and hire unprofessional drivers or employees fired for misconduct from municipal transport companies.

The minibus driver is obliged to follow the instructions of the dispatching personnel, follow the route schedule, know the places of stops, dangerous sections of the road, detour schemes for repair sites, navigate the location of medical institutions, gas stations and service points.

As for salaries for minibus drivers, the salary system is not used by entrepreneurs in practice. In fact, drivers work according to the established norm, which may vary on weekdays and weekends, and the salary, if any, is minimal. In this case, the driver's revenue includes an amount in excess of the prescribed rate. The disadvantage of such a scheme is that, in pursuit of revenue, following the route turns into a battle for passengers with other minibuses, with cuts, mutual insults, standing idle at a stop and driving a race with speeding to the next stop. As a result, a vicious system is formed in many respects: drivers think about passengers in the last turn, massively overwork, spending 14-16 hours in the cabin, and in case of non-payment of the “plan”, they may be deprived of the bonus or require additional payment from personal funds. This is not to mention traffic violations, accidents and so on.

Often the scheme for building a business on minibuses is such that the owner of the minibus is the driver himself, who is obliged to be responsible for washing and refueling, perform minor maintenance, including replacing pads, oil, bulbs and filters, as well as carry out major repairs and provide parking in a personal garage. He, of course, spends the minimum on everything, since he already gives half of the proceeds to the business owner. As a result, passengers receive "broken" minibuses. Unfortunately, most often the labor relations between drivers and owners of carrier companies leave much to be desired and are more like a “collection of tribute”. The turnover in this business is huge, and at the root of most of the problems, of course, is human greed.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Another option, which is chosen by more conscientious carriers, is to remove the bus driver from all other duties, except for driving on company-provided buses. In this case, the cost of gasoline, maintenance, washing and repairs remain with the company. With the solution of the issue of transparency of payments in public transport in our country is not in a hurry. The problem could be solved by the introduction of a cashless payment system with the installation of validators, but such a measure is effective only if it brings real benefits to passengers and applies to all types of urban transport. One way or another, the entrepreneur still needs to know the daily revenue plan, no matter what payment system he introduces. The best option would be to personally ride with the driver along the route as a conductor and calculate the income on different days of the week.

Returning to the requirements for drivers, we should not forget about their human qualities. Drivers not only must not be reckless, they must be able to get along with people. It's no secret that working in a minibus is a rather nervous and exhausting business. Here, the ability to control oneself is extremely important, because almost every day you have to deal with inadequate passengers, violent, arguing, and so on.


What are the requirements for the service of minibuses

All vehicles must be serviced at a service station and checked by a mechanic before each trip to work for faults. Also, before the flight, drivers must undergo an examination by a doctor and obtain permission to perform their duties. If there is no medical worker in the state, then you will need to conclude an agreement with one of the medical institutions for the provision of relevant services.

Minibuses must have licensed vehicle cards. You can not do without equipping GLONASS satellite monitoring devices and tachographs. Cars must be technically sound, and the type of vehicle must correspond to the type of transportation.

The entrepreneur should also take care of where to leave the cars after hours and how the car maintenance will be carried out: on their own or by a third party. In order to be in touch with their drivers, an office and the territory of the car park adjacent to it are equipped. Rent can be a significant expense, so finding a location on the outskirts of town is a good idea.

How much does it cost to open a bus business

There is no definite answer to the question of how much it costs to open a business on a fixed-route taxi. It all depends on the region in which it is planned to start, whether it is planned to purchase a fleet of vehicles or not, and whether other services will be provided. Some investment guidelines can be obtained from advertisements for the sale of a ready-made business. A ready-made business with all the documentation, a minibus and drivers who agree to work for a new owner will cost from 650 to 1350 thousand rubles. The option of buying a ready-made business can be attractive in that the entrepreneur will be relieved of many initial bureaucratic barriers and will be able to count on a certain flow of customers. In this case, the buyer will only have to find out exactly why the owner is selling his business. In the main period, the expense part of the business may include parking rental, payroll, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair costs. Also, current costs may include a subscription fee for the route, payment for medical care, taxes.


How much do taxis earn

Finally, we come to the most interesting question. Namely, to the question of how much fixed-route taxis earn. On average, a route with one minibus in the fleet brings about 85-90 thousand rubles a month. The range of net profit varies from 60 to 150 thousand rubles per month with turnover in the amount of 100 to 250 thousand rubles. Accordingly, three minibuses can bring profit from 180 to 450 thousand rubles.

The amount of income, in addition to current costs, is highly dependent on the specific route, the seasonal behavior of passengers and their weekly schedule. Of course, the most profitable is a business that earns on weekdays, that is, along the “work-home” route. No one makes a bet on weekends and transportation of summer residents. On weekends, revenue and net profit indicators can decrease by 2-3 times relative to weekdays.

You can increase profits by advertising inside or outside minibuses. In the cabin, printed materials are most often used: leaflets, banners, booklets, which are placed in places in full view of passengers, for example, on the backs of seats. A special film with a pattern is applied to the body of the bus. Registration is carried out by employees of advertising agencies.

What are the trends and pitfalls in the minibus business

Due to the fact that large amounts of money are circulating on minibuses in the business, one of its main features is closedness. If we are talking about large cities, then, most likely, all profitable routes have long been divided among major players. The minibus business is a very corrupt and highly competitive area. Even with the desire to strictly adhere to the letter of the law, a novice entrepreneur may find that playing by "fair rules" in this market is not quoted. In addition, newcomers often underestimate the current costs of transportation. Repair of minibuses, which are used in the mode of hard operation, can be not only expensive, but also long-term. The lack of modern bus service stations can put transport out of service for weeks and even months. Moreover, the entrepreneur is most often not able to increase revenue due to fixed tariffs. Tariffs may not change for years, while services for repairs, maintenance and gasoline continue to grow in the meantime.

When opening a business on minibuses, one cannot ignore the main trends in this area. In recent years, there has been a growing understanding in Russia that a minibus is a type of transport that has a detrimental effect on the situation with public transport in general. One of the main problems of minibuses is their low capacity. If the minibus can accommodate 15-20 passengers, then the tram and bus can accommodate 120 people. For cities suffering from traffic jams, it is clearly more efficient to replace 6-8 minibuses with one bus or tram. Minibuses clog roads and stops, cause more accidents and generally exacerbate the situation on the roads.


Moreover, from the point of view of finances, minibuses are a real noose for municipal public transport. First, minibuses do not require expensive infrastructure. Secondly, owners of minibuses save literally on everything, from train repairs to paying taxes. They can leave the route late at night without consequences if they consider it unprofitable. Public transport, of course, does not have such opportunities. Initially, unequal conditions put minibusters in a winning situation. Gradually, they are crowding out city buses from the busiest routes, and trams and trolleybuses are left with only beneficiaries and unprofitable directions.

In large cities of the country, the authorities have long recognized this problem, but they still cannot completely get rid of the “bus noose”. The fact is that almost every municipality in the country has its own minibus lobby, which impedes the implementation of restrictive reforms. Minibuses are a business with unregulated cash flows, which is very convenient for laundering black cash. Therefore, minibuses in Russian cities have a solid “roof”, and an attempt to ban minibuses or flatly refuse their owners to raise tariffs can play a cruel joke on the authorities. Such a step turns out that the next morning the minibuses (and this is a large part of the city's public transport) simply ... do not go on the line. The city cannot replace minibuses with the forces of exhausted municipal transport. And it turns out a vicious circle, the main victims of which are ordinary residents of the city. Moscow and Kazan have already consciously abandoned minibuses, and other million-plus cities are voicing similar plans. The trend, by the way, is global: at the moment, minibuses have remained mainly in the countries of the CIS, Africa and the Middle East.

96 people are studying this business today.

For 30 days this business was interested in 54426 times.

Profitability calculator for this business