Yandex, a company also known as “the Google of Russia”, is expected to enter the Romanian market as early as June though a ride sharing app called Yango, according to sources cited by Hotnews.ro. The company has not yet confirmed the move, but has posted a job vacancy ad for a customer service representative who can speak Romanian.
The Yango app is currently available in 15 countries – in some of them it uses a ride-sharing system similar to Uber, while in others it has authorized taxis.
Yandex has a market cap of about USD 12 billion and is a player on several markets, from autonomous cars to online ads. In 2017, it took over Uber’s operations in Russia and other ex-USSR countries.
Sources tell Hotnews that Yandex is likely to sign partnerships with local transport companies and not work directly with drivers.
The Romanian government has still not passed the long-awaited emergency ordinance to regulate alternative transport services, but did publish a draft for public debate on May 24 after talks with representatives of digital platforms like Uber, Bolt or Clever.