Cases of taxi overloading have increased in Azerbaijan: fines and risks

Recently in Azerbaijan, there has been an increase in cases where taxi passengers disregard safety rules and legal requirements, insisting on overloading vehicles. A particularly acute problem has become the desire to fit a significantly larger number of passengers into cars designed for 4-5 people.

Real stories shared by taxi drivers on social media confirm the seriousness of the situation. In some egregious cases, there have been attempts to fit up to 10-12 people in a 5-seat taxi. Such incidents not only create a serious risk to the safety of all road users but are also a direct violation of the current legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The chief inspector of the Main Traffic Police Department, Senior Police Lieutenant Elvin Hajiyev, in his statement to Metbuat.az, explained the measure of responsibility for such violations. According to Article 327.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a driver transporting passengers above the established norm faces a fine of 100 manats and the accrual of three penalty points.