Russian government approves bill regulating self-driving cars, taxis, and trams, Kommersant reports

The Russian government approved the final version of a bill called “On Highly Automated Vehicles” on November 12, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported after reviewing the document.

Russia’s Transport Ministry has worked on it since 2021, and the document lays out general requirements and operating rules for self-driving cars, trucks, taxis, and trams.

The bill has not yet been submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, but will be “in the near future,” Kommersant reported.

A range of self-driving vehicles, including taxis, trams, and trucks, have operated in Russia since 2018, usually with an operator in the cabin as backup.

In November 2026, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin promised that the number of self-driving trams would rise to 15 by the end of 2026 and to 25 by 2027.