Antitrust ends study of Yandex.Taxi–Vezyot deal, no decision yet

MOSCOW, Oct 2 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service has analyzed the purchase by Yandex.Taxi of software and call-centers of group Vezyot, but a decision is yet to be made, the authority’s Deputy Director Anatoly Golomolzin told reporters on Wednesday.

“No decision has been made yet,” Golomolzin said.

In mid-July Yandex.Taxi said it had purchased software and call centers of Vezyot, which works in 123 cities of the country, and will invest some 8 billion rubles in three years in development of taxi in regions. The deal is to be closed by 2020.

The antitrust service’s Director Igor Artemyev said in mid-September it may allow Yandex.Taxi to buy assets of Vezyot in a number of regions by ordering not sell them in some other regions or selling them to a competitor.

Artemyev said in late August he was not much excited about the deal. The move can be approved if Yandex’s total market share after the deal does not rise to a level above 50% from the current one of below 35%, he said then.

(65.0670 rubles – U.S. $1)

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