Famous travel blogger Foat Ishmukhametov flew with his wife to Astana International Airport after a grueling transit flight and faced threats from an intercity driver. He called them a "WhatsApp mafia". This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The blogger tried to order a ride from the capital to Kokshetau via the InDrive app. For the entire back seat for his wife's comfort and luggage, he offered 21,000 tenge, leaving the front seat for another passenger at 8,000 tenge. According to him, this is a completely adequate price for such a route, but the taxi driver himself was not satisfied.
"Instead of normal service, the driver started openly being rude on the phone and stating that under such conditions he would 'take me out in the trunk'. When I refused this inadequate character, the most interesting part began — I was declared a boycott!" Ishmukhametov shared.
As it turned out, carriers have closed chats on WhatsApp where they coordinate actions and dictate their prices. Having colluded, drivers can simply refuse to take passengers along an entire route.
"This is not just rudeness — it is a real shadow collusion and a violation of consumer rights. If you don't dance to their tune — they try to 'block' you at the level of an entire route," he added.
According to him, InDrive takes a commission from orders but completely ignores safety and allows "gray" schemes to operate within its apps. Ishmukhametov called on the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the capital's akimat and the management of Astana airport to restore order in intercity transportation.
The editorial team reached out to InDrive representatives for comment to obtain additional information.
Earlier in Astana, an inDrive taxi driver was given 10 days of administrative arrest for persistent intimate propositions to a female passenger.