Taxi Times International - October 2015 - English

OCTOBER 2015 6,80€
www.taxi-times.com
INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
EUROPEAN E-LEARNING
PROGRAMME
TAXISTARS IN
ATHENS
Mac Urata (ITF):
‘IMPROVE TAXI DRIVERS’
WORKING CONDITIONS!’
Intelligent Mobility 3.0 shows
LINES BETWEEN MOBILITY
PROVIDERS ARE BLURRING
Russian taxi conference:
‘LET’S CONCENTRATE ON
LEGAL SOLUTIONS!’

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DEAR TAXI-FRIENDS,
One of the main elements in the competition with ‘techapps’
is that taxis are providing an inferior service to these
app-based services. Or, before you bombard us with critical
emails saying we are wrong, that at least the perception
of the taxi’s service is negative. Even when there’s
nothing wrong with the service provided, taxis are often
seen as lacking in certain quality areas.
Apps are also often seen as trendy. A trendiness which
is lacking from the taxi product, which has nothing to do
with the taxi’s quality in itself. Every service provider needs
to be critical of its own service and aware of changes in it.
Not just the taxi industry. That’s why a pan-European
e-learning programme like Taxistars, which provides a
much-needed upgrade of the drivers’ service, is a great idea.
That sits very comfortably with Mac Urata’s demand
(in the main interview) for an improvement in the drivers’
working conditions. Because they, with many other contributing
factors, also influence the level of quality the
customer enjoys.
- the editors -
DATES
CONTENT
TRAINING
8–9 Taxistars from Athens: a ‘first’ for the taxi
industry, developing a European e-learning
programme
INTERVIEW
10–12 ITF-secretary Mac Urata about the
unions’ new activities in the taxi sector
CONFERENCES
13–14 The Dutch Taxi Expo discussed many
different themes
15–16 Intelligent Mobility 3.0: Are the lines
between mobility providers blurring?
16–18 Russia’s taxi conference wants legal
solutions in the trade
GLOBAL TAXI NETWORK
20–21 Greek-European integration:
What role Taxi.eu is playing in the
changing taxi landscape in Athens
SHOWS
22–23 Taxi-Highlights from the IAA car show
DEMO
25 The European taxi industry demonstrates in
Brussels
WELCOME,
WILLKOMMEN,
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Welcoming International
Guests to your Cab.
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COVER PHOTO: Fotolia / Carsten Bachmeyer
Eurocab 2015 fms usergroup meeting
October 14–16, 2015,
Ramada Plaza Antwerp, Belgium
www.eurocab.info
2015 Annual Convention & Trade Show
October 26-30, Ceasars Palace,
Las Vegas, USA
www.tlpa.org
7. Taxitreff 2015
Including Taxi Times workshop
October 29–31, 2015, Mallorca, Spain
www.taxitreff.de
Taxiworld Turkey
February, 4-6, 2016, Istanbul, Turkey
www.taxiworldturkey.com
Organising an event in the mobility sector?
Please let us know: info@taxi-times.com
TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
3
OPINION
06 More quality should be obligatory
REGULAR ITEMS
4, 7, 19 News
24 Figures and statistics about Greece

PEOPLE
CLAUDIO SKUBLA
SUCCEEDS PER
JUTH AT SWEDISH TAXI
ASSOCIATION
At RMC
Van Beek (r.)
hands over
to Tommel.
On September 1, Head of Communications
Claudio Skubla (53) took over
from Per Juth, who retired, as acting
Federal Director of the Swedish Taxi
Association. Per Juth left the association
“to use the opportunity to move
abroad before retiring. My time at the
Taxi Association has only left me with
positive experiences and memories.”
Claudio Skubla is a marketing
economist and has worked as Head of
Communications of the association
since 2011. “Claudio knows how to
run industry issues and has a good
network of contacts in different organisations
and in government offices. I
look forward to working with him to
further drive the development of the
taxi industry” commented Bo Bylund,
Chairman of the Federation. wf NEW CEO FOR ROTTERDAM’S RMC
REDUCED TAXI ROLE
Not all taxis in Athens look as good as this one. The recent
extension of the public transport network and the economic
crisis have reduced the role of the taxi as the Athenians’ favourite
means of transport. The locals no longer quickly hop in a
(shared) taxi – not even to go to work, as they used to - but tend
to walk longer distances to take bus and metro instead.
Not only the quality of the vehicles has suffered. The same goes
for the quality of the drivers’ service, which is very hit and
miss. So it was only fitting that Taxistars, the new European
e-learning programme to train and educate taxi drivers, would
be launched here and made Athens the European taxi capital
for a day.
Skubla temporarily takes over
from Juth (r.).
Cees Tommel (49), from railoperator Keyrail,
is the new director of the Rotterdamse
Mobiliteit Centrale (RMC), a joint- venture
created in 2003 between Rotterdam public
transport company RET and the Rotterdam
radio-circuit RTC. RMC is one of
the largest dispatching centres in The
Netherlands, dispatching jobs for RTC but
also for numerous external clients in the
entire country.
Henk van Beek (65), its present CEO
will be leaving in a few months. Through
his rail-background Tommel has built
up a large network of contacts in Rotterdam’s
port and various logistics companies.
wf
SWISS TV HOST
BECOMES
TAXI DRIVER
Röbi Koller is a journalist, TV host and
book author. In autumn of next year, the
Zurich native intends to publish a new
book about taxis. Aiming for authenticity,
Koller recently acquired the passenger
transportation licence for the city of
Zurich, was hired by the taxi company
Zitrans and will now been working as a
“normal” taxi driver in Zurich for several
months. “In autumn of 2016, I am planning
on publishing a book about my experiences:
stories from passengers or from
other taxi drivers, but also the political,
economic and social developments affecting
the taxi industry,” Röbi Koller writes
in an e-mail to Taxi Times. The very popular
TV host in Switzerland became aware
of our magazine while working for the taxi
company and asked us to send him some
older and future copies.
We are happy to oblige and we are looking
forward to the stories and impressions of
the taxi industry Mr. Koller gains during
his time as a taxi driver. Have a safe drive
in Zurich, Mr. Koller!
jh
IRU APPOINTS
NEW TEAM LEADER
IN ISTANBUL
IRU appointed Kadri Özen as new IRU
General Delegate in its Istanbul office.
Özen replaces Haydar Özkan, who has
held the position of IRU General Delegate
to the Middle East and Region
since May 2005 and now wishes to continue
his career in the private sector.
Kadri Özen has a proven track record
in the establishment of partnerships,
media relations, and financial and leadership
communications through his
experience in sustainability, advocacy
and stakeholder management. And as
Turkey plays a key role in the IRU’s
expansion at the crossroads between
Europe, Asia, the CIS and the Middle
East, IRU says it is confident that Mr
Özen’s leadership will expedite the
implementation of the IRU’s strategic
objectives.
wf
PHOTOS: Philippe Rossier, Swedish Taxi Association, Awe Krijger/RMC
PHOTO: Wim Faber
4

OUR COMMENT
NEWS
Wim Faber (left) and
Jürgen Hartmann.
HILTON AND
LUFTHANSA
EXPAND
THEIR TRAVEL
NETWORKS
WITHOUT THE
TAXI INDUSTRY
View a map of
top venues most
frequented by Uber
riders with ‘Local
Scene’
BETTER QUALITY
MUST BE MADE MANDATORY
European learning software for taxi drivers is available for the first
time and has the potential to raise the standard of training. The taxi
trade must now urgently find the answer to the next question: Should
quality measures be made mandatory?
Within the scope of a remarkable global
cooperation, the European taxi trade has
developed a modularly structured eLearning
software (Taxistars) that teaches the
main elements of the profession to newcomers
to the taxi trade, and can also bring
new perspectives to experienced colleagues
– or at least refresh some of their
basic knowledge.
STRONG ALLIES
Well-trained taxi drivers not only
increase the quality of taxis as a
service, but they also instil new
confidence in the sector. The driver
is the one in direct contact with the
customer. The more confident the
driver is, the more secure the passenger
feels, and the easier it is for him
to decide to push the taxi button next
time (instead of ‘Uber’). It is therefore
a good thing that the unions start to
show renewed interest in the taxi trade.
Find out more in our in-depth interview
with Mac Urata, Section Secretary of
the International Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF).
The program is available in seven languages
and can be accessed on the computer or
via app. Now the national associations are
faced with the enormous task of ensuring
the widespread and swift distribution of
the software and convincing companies,
taxi radio circuits, associations and training
institutes to integrate this learning
content into their (already existing) quality
measures. The fact that the software is
free, thanks largely to the financial support
of the European Union, should make this
task easier.
The initiator and driver of this project
was a Greek company, which is why the
symbolic kick-off of Taxistars took place in
Athens, a city where nearly 14,000 taxis
are only able to earn €60 to €80 in 14-hour
shifts and where every single driver struggles
each day to secure a living. Some drivers
do resort to dishonest measures, and
nearly every participant at the Taxistars
event knew of cases in which taxi prices
were inflated, or knowledge of the streets
was sorely lacking – in addition to communication
problems, given that few drivers
in Athens speak English.
During the discussion, the question
quickly came up as to whether the learning
program and other quality measures
should be offered on a voluntary basis or
introduced as mandatory. We need to have
this debate, however controversial, and
pursue it to its final conclusion.
It is certainly true that raising the barriers
to entry makes it harder to find staff.
But if the taxi trade wants to remain a reasonable
regional, national and global alternative
means of passenger transport in
this fast-paced, ever-changing digital
world, it must define a significantly higher
quality standard in the short term and
implement it over the mid term.
Implementation should therefore start
with newcomers to the taxi trade. Those
new to the trade must have the capacity
and willingness to perform their job as a
taxi driver in a professional manner, which
goes far beyond simply knowing their way
around the city. Taxi associations and circuits
must have the courage to make this
a mandatory requirement, whether legally
or on their own initiative.
Jürgen Hartmann
EDITOR
Wim Faber
EDITOR
PHOTO: Gudrun Hartmann
PHOTOS: business wire; Wim Faber
The international hotel chain Hilton and the major German airline
Lufthansa recently announced two noteworthy collaborative ventures.
Lufthansa will offer fixed-price limousine shuttle service
to passengers flying into and out of Düsseldorf Airport. Rides will
be booked and provided through the “myDriver” application, a
subsidiary of the international car rental company Sixt. The service,
which according to Lufthansa will be available at a price
comparable to that of a taxi, offers trained drivers, pickup at the
passenger’s home or the airport arrivals area, and a luggage service.
In case of flight delays, myDriver automatically takes those
into account and waits for the passenger at no extra cost. If the
trial run in Düsseldorf proves successful, Lufthansa and myDriver
want to offer this service in other European cities.
This really bad news for the taxi industry was topped a few
days later by another notification: The controversial transportation
network company
Uber announced a collaboration
with the
Hilton hotel chain.
According to a press
release, “Hilton Worldwide and Uber
are now partners and want to make a new travel
experience available to guests.” A feature allowing customers to
order an Uber car was added to the Hilton HHonors-App, which
customers could already use to book rooms, check in, and enter
their rooms with a digital key. Interestingly, additional features
should facilitate the announced travel experience in some American
cities. These include a reminder to order cars on time and
insiders’ tips about the trendiest spots. The most popular recent
destinations of Uber passengers will be shown.
jh
MIEDEMA:
“NS ZONETAXI NEEDS MORE VOLUME”
Although the national Dutch NS Zonetaxi system –developed by
Dutch railways NS and the taxi association KNV Taxi – now serves
more railway stations (138) than the popular shared Traintaxi
ever did in its heyday, it’s definitely not as popular as its
predecessor.
“There is growth, but we need more volume”, conceeds NS
Zonetaxi manager Kees Miedema at NS Stations. “Compared to
our starting phase there’s quiet a bit of growth. We’re gaining
hundreds of users every week. We’re moving in the right direction,
but it takes time before a product like this is settled properly.”
The systems’s evaluation is planned for 2017-2018.
Three years ago NS Zonetaxi started with 24 stations, quickly
added another 24 and grew to 138. NS is eager to add another 31
locations to the tally this year. Miedema adds: “We feel that NS
Zonetaxi is a well-functioning and qualitative taxi product, which
functions impeccably. Regular users are very happy with it.”
The next step is a dedicated NS Zonetaxi-app, to be launched
in the last quarter of this year. At the moment users have to register
and order via the system’s website. Rates start at € 6 for the
first zone of two kilometres and € 3 is
added for every next zone up to a maximum
of 30 kilometres. “That makes it
slightly cheaper than ordinary taxis”,
adds Miedema.
With quite a few taxi companies not
being very enthusiastic about the service
and using it as a ‘filler’ for ordinary
taxi work, the system’s financing has
also needed some adapting: the fixed
yearly amount is gone. Now there’s an
entry fee of € 750 and a percentage per
trip. Every cab company respecting the
national quality standards can participate.
Hence the entry check on quality
aspects remains. There is no NS Zonetaxi
‘look’: taxi companies prefer to
keep their cabs neutral and not use system
stickers.
wf
Miedema: “NS Zonetaxi
needs more time and
more volume.”
6 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
7

TRAINING
TRAINING
TAXI DRIVING
IS ALL
IN THE MIND
were not only scattered across various geographies, they were
also specialists. The Taxistars consortium consisted of a complementary
mix of professional and institutional partners whose
common denominators lay in the professional training and further
education in the traffic and/or IT sector, all of whom also had indepth
experience in developing EU projects.
The tutorial can be accessed online on any computer or laptop.
An app version was also developed, which can be downloaded free
of charge for both iPhones and Android smartphones. Initial test
runs showed high acceptance among prospective taxi drivers. “It
lets me choose when and where to use the learning software”,
said a Hamburg taxi newcomer. “If I was to rate this programme,
I would give it five stars out of five.” So there really are stars elsewhere
than in the sky.
jh
Thymios
Lymperopoulos
GREEK TAXI ASSOCIATION
JOINS THE IRU
Various European taxi associations have
developed a joint taxi eLearning programme.
It is modularly structured and can be
accessed online or via app free of charge.
Who says that there are stars only in the sky?” This is
the slogan used in the launch of a project three years
ago under the leadership of the Greek consulting
firm Militos for developing a standardised training concept for
taxi drivers. The European Union covered 75 per cent of the project
costs; the rest was financed by the partners. The goal was to
help make the transport system throughout the EU safer, more
efficient, more competitive, and to increase its quality by improving
training and further education in the taxi sector and, in doing
so, to address the ever-changing demands and working conditions
inherent in the 24-hour job of ‘taxi driver’.
The new star in the taxi world is a friendly, smiling comic strip
character who wears a blue and white checked shirt, a blue tie
and blue trousers with a smart black belt. His eyes are watchful
and his hair is neatly parted on the side. His proportions are
deliberately off, leaving him with a head twice as big as his thin
legs, and his hands lack fingers, as if to indicate that the job of
today’s taxi driver consists of much more than knowing how to
use the pedals and steering wheel correctly. Professional taxi
driving is all in the mind; it is a matter of knowledge. In-depth
knowledge lead to the required professionalism.
So it is not surprising that the learning content, presented by
our comic strip character in eight different modules, covers a
broad range of topics. In addition to standard subjects for profes-
sional drivers such as an ergonomic sitting position, stress management
and defensive driving, the content also includes
passenger-specific subjects such as conflict management, serviceminded
behaviour and dealing with disabled passengers. The
modular structure allows the learning content to be approached
in manageable sections.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
The information is presented in a fun, easy format. There are no
long-winded explanations; the information is brief and concise
with a lot of multiple choice questions which engage the learner
proactively. There is of course a lot of general information and
some content that, at first glance, does not appear to apply exclusively
to professional drivers (for example, how caffeine influences
concentration), but due to the global nature of the project,
everyone involved understood from the beginning that national
specificities and regulations could not be taken into account.
Instead, the focus is on the development of a modern communication
basis. The nine project partners from eight countries
HOW TO ACCESS THE
TAXISTARS TUTORIAL:
… also
available
as App.
For the presentation of the Taxistars
project, the consortium invited everyone
to Athens, where representatives presented
the background of the project to
the individual project partners and were
available afterwards for a Q&A session.
In the afternoon, speakers from the U.S.
and the Netherlands presented similar
eLearning projects for training taxi drivers
in their respective countries.
During his welcome speech, Thymios
Lymperopoulos, president of the Greek
Taxi Association, announced that his
association would soon join the IRU
taxi section. Hopefully this will provide
support in the fight against Uber.
The information
is presented in an
easy format …
COMPUTER/LAPTOP: www.taxistars.eu,
click on the eLearning platform button,
then set the language preferences.
SMARTPHONE/TABLET: Search for
TaxiTraining in the Apple App Store or
the Google Play Store, download the
‘Taxistars’ app from Militos Consulting
S.A. in the language of your choice. Data
volume: approx. 120 MB;
ON PAPER: The learning content will
be available as a PDF file (approx. 130
pages) starting at the end of October.
PHOTOS + ILLUSTRATIONS: Militos, Wim Faber
8 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
9

INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
MAC URATA (ITF):
“WE WANT TO IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF THE
DRIVERS’ CONDITIONS”
Mac Urata, Section Secretary, Inland
Transport Sections, International Transport
Workers’ Federation, is a busy man
since the start of Uber: suddenly the taxi
trade is back in the union’s spotlight.
Urata’s brief is not only quite wide, it
is also very diverse: at the ITF London
headquarters he covers the two sections
of railways and road transportation. The
latter includes truck, bus and taxi drivers.
Although he nicely sidesteps the question
which group is his preferred, it is
clear to see that the taxi sector takes up
quite a bit of time at the moment.
“The taxi industry is not even a national
industry. It is often city based, unlike
transport by sea and civil aviation for instance.
Ironically Uber made the taxi industry
very global. And it also made us
focus more on the taxi sector.”
TAXI TIMES: But your presence in the
taxi sector is quite patchy.
MAC URATA: “In countries like the US
and in some European countries we were
hit very hard after waves of deregulation.
For example in the US and Sweden
it has been an uphill struggle to organise
and to re-organise taxi workers, particularly
because their employment status
changed to bogus self-employed. These
developments also happened over different
periods. From 1998 onwards we had
some activist people in the US who, particularly
in New York, redeveloped the
taxi unions. By 2003, 2004 they were getting
quite strong.”
» Ironically Uber
made the taxi
industry very global.
And it also made us
focus more on the
taxi sector«
Uber’s come at the right time to galvanise
your unions back into action?
“You were right by saying the union presence
in the taxi industry is quite patchy.
If we take a quick tour around the world,
we see that the taxi unions were quite successful
in Japan and in South Korea. In
Japan too they were hit hard by deregulation,
although there were efforts to organise
taxi workers on a company level making
sure they would at least get a minimum
salary. This unfortunately disappeared by
deregulation.”
“In the Philippines, we assisted unions
to organise the Jeepney-workers, and in
Indonesia
we had
s o m e
degrees of
success. In
India it was more
complex with a very
fragmented national
industry and many different
modes. There we helped taxi
workers to promote their own associations
for mutual benefit. In Nepal we managed,
15 years ago, to set up a new union
for taxi drivers. In Australia and New Zealand
we are not well represented like
Japan. Although I noticed there was a good
Uber protest in Perth some weeks ago.”
Urata sums up from memory and clearly
doesn’t need the help of the folder in
front of him, simply marked ‘Uber’ and
stuffed full of copies of articles. From time
to time he takes one out and passes it to
the journalist as background. He has the
world’s union overview in his head: “In
Africa it is difficult to distinguish between
countries”, he continues. “There are taxi
workers unions in South Africa, Nigeria
and Kenya. In Kenya we have an affiliate
that unionised the Maputo-drivers.” In
Buenos Aires and Bogota, the union is
strong, Urata says, but in other countries
of Latin America, the picture is patchy.
PHOTO: Wim Faber
“But everywhere there is protest against
Uber. A very strong protest recently ignited
in Brazil”, Urata remembers.
“Recently the union in New York, the
New York Taxi Workers Alliance, led by
Bhairavi Desai, developed into a national
union and it’s now active in San Francisco,
Philadelphia, Austin and Montgomery,
Maryland. The idea was to form a national
taxi workers alliance, which was accepted
as member by the national movement
AFL/CIO. The first union, the one in New
York, largely represented independent
contractors. In Canada there are a couple
of national unions that represent some taxi
workers in the Provinces.”
And in Europe?
“In
t h e
UK there
are a few strong
transport unions, like
Unite and the GMB which
are also very active in the London
taxi and private hire world. Oh yes, and to
a certain extent the rail workers union
RMT.”
Urata tells the example of Sweden
where before deregulation 45% of the workers
in the taxi trade were members of the
union. Post-deregulation that number
dwindled rapidly and drivers became selfemployed
and lost a fixed income and many
benefits. “Taxi workers used to say: ‘before
deregulation the passenger robbed the
driver, after deregulation the driver robbed
the passenger”, Urata says with a smile.
Other countries, like Belgium where
26% of taxi workers are members of one of
the 3 unions, have a more structured system.
“In many cases these people are company
employees and the unions work well
with the employers.” In Germany the
unions are not doing ‘terribly
well’, according to Urata, similarly
in France where some taxi drivers
are members of the CGT. The Middle
East is a big blind spot for the unions.”
Uber has not only galvanised the
unions into action, but also forced
them to coordinate their efforts?
“We had a strategy meeting in September
last year where 13 countries, including
Europe, the US, Canada and India were
represented. That was the kick-off for the
Uber-campaign. We exchange newspaper
clippings and other email-information
between the various unions and help each
other as much as possible. Following that
meeting there was an ITF ‘action week’
which was held in many countries where
some unions organised an ‘Uber-protest
day’. For instance in the US, Canada, UK,
Belgium, the Phillippines, India and Thailand.
Of course we also used those events
to promote ourselves. The Belgian colleagues,
Frank Moreels and Roberto Parrillo,
introduced us to the International
Road Transport Union in Brussels and we
found that we had much in common.”
Has the ITF ever had contacts with
Uber?
“No, never”, Urata says. “We see them as
quite anti-union. Uber is the new leader
10 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
11

INTERVIEW
CONFERENCE
and the most aggressive leader of the pack.
We sometimes call it ‘Walmart on wheels’,
after the bad social conditions for its drivers.
But Uber is not alone. Take the US, Lyft
is a strong competitor and equally important.
We also strongly focus on them.”
Urata remarks on the new type of work:
a collection of part time jobs. At the Annual
Conference of the Transportation
Research Board in Washington, in January
this year, he heard a representative from
Lyft say that most of their drivers only
work 18 hours a week. “For that we would
very much like a different form of regulation.”
“What I find amazing is that Uber, a
large company and reputedly worth 50 billion
dollars, doesn’t even have a Corporate
Social Responsibility statement on its website.
It is nowhere to be found! Obviously
Uber doesn’t care about its social responsibility
to society.”
But should you treat Uber as any normal
taxi company?
“No, it’s clearly an app platform based company.
Not a traditional taxi operator. But
that doesn’t mean it can be exempted from
any regulation. What is most irritating are
the hiked fares when there is a higher
demand. Surge pricing. Fares go up at
Christmas and New Year. Yet, when there
is a transport strike, they could rake it in
and then they offer 50% discount. It’s not
always easy to follow Uber’s company
logic.”
Urata is also curious why its namesake,
the ‘other’ ITF (International Transport
Forum in Paris), accepted Uber as a member
of its Corporate Partnership Board
(CPB). He heard it has something to do
with the Leipzig ITF-conference getting
bigger and bigger and no more additional
funds coming from governments. “I do not
know what the actual CPB criteria are.”
Is ITF a member of ITF?
“No, I don’t think so. But four or five years
ago we were invited to take part in a panel
discussion in Leipzig.”
» Uber is the new
leader and the
most aggressive
leader of the pack.
We sometimes
call it ›Walmart
on wheels‹, after
the bad social
conditions for its
drivers«
Aren’t the unions living a bit in the
past with their defence of the status
quo in the taxi world?
Urata reiterates several times that the
unions are not against innovation. “We
would very much like to improve the quality
of the industry. Young kids like apps.
It gives them instant contact. It lets them
track their car. But an improvement in the
industry’s quality can only be achieved
with a level playing field. We are very
much in favour of regulation. Perhaps even
regulating and limiting the size of taxi
fleets in larger cities so that the drivers
don’t have to fight over each ride and
there’s always enough supply. In Japan the
number of vehicles skyrocketed after
deregulation. Income was reduced to such
an extent that it was sometimes better to
go on welfare benefit than to keep working
as a taxi driver. Things have improved in
the meantime, but still…”
Why is the taxi sector such a lone
transport mode?
Urata agrees that the taxi sector can rarely
be found in cooperation with other transport
modes, even though they could very
much benefit from each other. “It is very
much an urban city problem. Yet there are
other transport modes who could benefit
from working with the taxi industry and
vice versa. Think of the paratransit mode,
of transporting people with a mobility
handicap. The elderly, the on-demand
transport. But those services are only available
if there are subsidies.”
Even in the union’s achievements the
picture is patchy as unions are organised
on a national scale. Urata mentions examples
of union activity which lead to
improvements. “Because what we want
first and foremost is the improvement in
the quality of the drivers’ conditions. Regulation
should be aimed at that. That’s why
we feel fleets should also be regulated.
Fleets should be limited and should adhere
to the same rules. And we are fully aware
that technology has changed. So you need
to update the rules and apply them to everyone
including Uber. First and foremost
we need to stabilise the industry.”
How do you feel about the recent California
court case where Uber was told
it should treat its drivers as employees?
“We welcomed that news. We do feel that
the driver must be able to make a choice,
whether to work for a wage or go for his
dream and be an entrepreneur and go for
creating a bigger company. A choice
between being an employee and guaranteed
income and security and being in
independent operator should always exist.
But that should be the drivers’ freedom of
choice, not something that the operator
imposes.”
Interviewer: Wim Faber
THE ITF
The International Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF)
represents over 4.5 million
transport workers from some
150 countries in its 700 affiliates.
It is one of several Global
Federation Unions allied
with the International Trade
Union Confederation (ITUC).
Founded in 1896, it has its
headquarters in London, with
its regional offices in Nairobi,
New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro,
Amman and Brussels (ETF).
PHOTOS: Wim Faber
InnoTrans was one of the newcomers to Taxi Expo, presenting
a new system to secure wheelchairs in the minibuses.
‘OLD-FASHIONED’ DUTCH
TAXI EXPO OFFERS
MANY DIFFERENT VIEWS
An old-fashioned Taxi Expo in The Netherlands. In these
difficult times for the Dutch trade the show went back to the
Expo Houten centre where it started.
According to organizers TaxiPro
there were about a 1,000 visitors
and 50 exhibitors. Despite the
worrying economic situation in the industry,
the Expo’s atmosphere was far from
depressing. Especially the contract sector
(75% of annual turnover) is under threat
from government cuts.
The new priorities in the taxi industry
were also reflected in this Expo: no huge
stands for most exhibitors - even main
sponsor Mercedes-Benz had a fairly modest
stand. Gone were the huge stands of
the on-board computer providers. Two of
them had already decided not to exhibit at
the Taxi Expo. There were more relatively
small stands and various (partially new)
providers in the area of employment and
personnel - in addition to the Social Fund
Taxi (trade + unions) and Tax Authoritystands
- plus quite a few IT and app specialists.
MANY VEHICLE SUPPLIERS
The large number of small and large vehicle
manufacturers was striking – and not
all classic taxi suppliers in The Netherlands:
besides Mercedes-Benz, BYD, Audi,
Ford, Volkswagen, Renault, Skoda and Nissan
had turned up. Plus (mini)bus specialists
VDL Bus & Coach, Expo-sponsor Tribus
(with its very notable new Civitas minibus),
Flex-i-Trans and newcomers
InnoTrans (with new wheelchair locking
system) and Auto Cuby from Belgium. BP
and Expo-sponsor OrangeGas were the fuel
providers.
Noteworthy was
the large number
of commercial and
non-commercial
workshops
Back with a vengeance: Toplight supplier
Barclay (no longer part of Taxitronic Nederland)
and the Sanders family, who incidentally
also saw a Belgian supplier of taxi
rooflights at the Taxi Expo: Voxdale from
Antwerp.
Noteworthy was the large number of commercial
and non-commercial workshops in
the beautiful dome in the midst of the Expo
and in the separate workshop area just off the
Barclay Toplights – no longer part of Taxitronic
Nederland – was back with a vengeance.
show floor. The level of contributions varied
widely, but most could count on quite a lot of
interest.
NEAT SUMMARY
For most participants the annual contract
transport conference - except perhaps for
the many representatives of municipalities
and other public authorities (40%) – provided
no new insights. Five speakers were
given ample time and space to make their
point giving a thorough overview of the
current state of affairs. The first part was
about the future of taxi tenders and possible
innovation. The second part looked
to award major contracts in social transportation
in a more innovative fashion.
Unfortunately Dutch KNV Taxi chairman
Bertho Eckhardt was stuck in traffic,
otherwise the conference structure would
have been perfect. Eckhardt said that the
taxi sector finds itself in very heavy weather
and the important area of transport contracts
-now the mainstay of the taxi
industry in the Netherlands- is probably
going to be a niche market within a few
years. The taxi (trade) must, according to
Eckhardt, again be seen as the main part-
12 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
13

CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE
INTELLIGENT
MOBILITY
3.0: LINES
The Contract Transport Congress dealt with
the woes and the opportunities in the social
transportation area.
ner in the transportation sector. Besides
that, the cut-throat competition for contract
work must end and the price for these
services must be the right one – not just
the lowest one.
FRAGILITY
The city of Rotterdam hired consultant
Jeroen Veenendaal to do the kickoff to an
revamped integrated social transport contract.
He seeks a different approach, different
from contracts ‘just’ awarded on the
basis of winning the tender. He is looking
forward to a dialogue with the market, with
the transport companies. This will require
‘Market Meetings’ with a dialogue on trade
and competitive issues between taxi companies.
His big question: does the organization
and coordination of this work add
something to these types of transport? Far
too often things are made more complicated
than necessary.
Importantly, the fragility of the transported
clients means that small mistakes
can have major consequences. Therefore
the customer should always be centre stage
and the service must be punctual taking
into account the client’s vulnerability. Yes,
this is a completely different taxi market
compared to many other countries.
ORGANIZE THEMSELVES
Marcel Slotema from consultants Forseti,
concluded with the story of the transportation
centre Flevoland. Not a unique thought
by this consultancy, but a practice borrowed
from the Nordic countries. It seems
the flavour of the month, but so far no such
centre has shown it actually operates more
efficiently and saves money. The story
hinges on how the municipalities in this
model are willing to work together and how
reliable firewalls can be built between
operations and dispatching. wf
BETWEEN
MOBILITY
PROVIDERS
BLURRING
Not a day passes without
speculation about the future of
passenger transport. And when
taxis will be replaced by
autonomous ones.
Carlos Ghosn, the big boss of Renault-Nissan, sees taxis
disappear within 20 years. Often the taxi driver is completely
overlooked – he or she apparently provides no
added value, for example for people with reduced mobility or caredependent
elderly people.
Yet profound social changes are on the way, concluded the
annual conference Intelligent Mobility 3.0, organized in London
by consultants Frost & Sullivan. About 300 specialists heard how
connectivity (everyone is connected to everyone and everything
Sarwant Singh
(Frost & Sullivan)
each year
presents the new
Mega trends.
PHOTOS: Wim Faber
PHOTOS: Wim Faber
What mobility provider does not have to deal with the new
developments? The panels were full of high-level specialists.
is connected to everything else, the Internet of Things) and urbanization
are some of the megatrends which will shape the agenda
for the next years.
MEGATREND URBANIZATION
The megatrends, including urbanization -the increasing migration
of the world’s population to urban areas – are both opportunities
and threats to public transport and taxis. These trends have their
effects on both. With the advent of the autonomous car both sectors
will increasingly be intertwined. Transportation professionals
will have to tackle new challenges and opportunities. Sarwant
Singh (Senior Partner Frost & Sullivan): “Megatrends such as
urbanization, connectivity and e-commerce means creating new
opportunities, such as smart parking management, new approaches
for automobile manufacturers and home delivery logistics companies.“
Last year Singh in his book ‘New Megatrends - Implications
for our Future’ took the participants on a journey through the
megatrends that shape today‘s horizon and change the face of
tomorrow‘s mobility. Also for the taxi industry. Singh identified
11 megatrends which affect mobility at the micro level. This year,
he elaborated on these themes.
SMART INFRASTRUCTURE
This world’s resources are tight. Financial, physical and social
resources. The manufacturers who are clever in the design and
manufacture of mobility solutions will be the ones who benefit.
‚Smart‘ is green and efficient, and the seamless response to the
networked society. In today‘s increasingly urbanized cities ‚smart‘
is also a prerequisite for success. Smart urban infrastructure and
planning mean that physical and e-mobility will play an increasingly
important role. Today the demand for mobility is more and
more based on the prevention of congestion and pollution by easy
mobility solutions. Another megatrend is the greater emphasis
on good value for money. And in this society where people are
generally getting older, wellness and wellbeing will be top of the
agenda.
‘SHIFTS‘
Singh gave some ‚shifts‘ too, away from traditional models, such
as new business models based on car sharing, peer-to-peer sharing
and corporate sharing - more integrated mobility. There will
also new ridesharing models, like BlaBlaCar (sharing the costs,
not profit). Uber will develop more into a logistics company in
some markets.
The integration of mobility in turn means the development of
integrated platforms in which the customer can order the mobi-
Hailed as a leading example of ultimate
mobility platform: Marcus Spickermann of
Daimler’s Moovel.
lity he needs. These platforms also provide space for innovative
taxi companies, like London’s One Transport has for
years combined various forms of taxi, coach and other mobility
features. Cities themselves will also become customers
for all sorts of integrated mobility, including taxi-mobility.
This especially to meet the needs of the ageing population,
which in some cases will not just need a door-to-door
approach, but also a bed-to-bed solution.
»Business and leisure
mobility are
increasingly happening
at the same time«
Another shift: business and leisure mobility are increasingly
happening at the same time. The number of women
drivers will increase and women are more likely to prefer
Uber over taxis. Aggregators will increasingly combine various
modes of transport in their apps.
The framework Singh had described, was then coloured
in by a series of specialist speakers. More and more companies
turn to ridesharing, while others are hesitant for safety
and security reasons. A huge challenge for reservation
systems like Amadeus and specialist business travel agencies
like Carlsson-Wagonlit. Amadeus is working on a special
department that is purely concerned with new forms of
shared and integrated mobility. The question is what the
commercial side of the business will look like. As ridesharing
doesn’t always fit well in reservation systems. But in
future business travellers may well go to Uber and AirBnb
for lack of alternative.
In the future divisions between B2B, B2C and P2P are
disappearing, just like the lines between modes of mobility
are blurring. Providers of mobility products are moving
closer together.
wf
TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
15

CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE
worst, whilst saying “credit card, credit card”, with a big smile
the driver produced a brand-new Verifone payment terminal from
under his seat. No problem there. But not everything is what it
seems in the Russian Federation’s taxi world.
Many taxi companies
apply very visible
– sometimes garish –
colours and designs
plus roof signs advertising
their own and
other (commercial)
products.
ILLEGAL TAXIS
The International Eurasian Taxi Forum is held every year in
August – so far only in St. Petersburg - and attracts about 600
representatives from all over Russia. It is held in a hotel and
includes a trade show – part vehicles and part other equipment
(about 40 exhibitors) - and a lengthy conference part, which easily
stretches into the evening. Some debates were quite fierce
and easily ran over time, but all bore the imprint of good cameraderie
and clearly had the intention to improve the Russian
taxi trade. Most conference attendees were from the taxi industry,
with also quite a few suppliers, politicians and local regulators.
So in that respect it was quite close to a traditional European or
American conference and trade show.
Illegal taxis? Or competition by new (illegal) parties? A rapidly
growing landscape in apps? Insufficient or dated laws? Every
country has its own taxi-problems and solutions. But, as I said,
these days there are many themes which are identical in many
countries. In Russia, like everywhere else, there’s also a strong
demand for ‘a level playing field’ with equal rights and duties for
Above: Many politicians, operators, regulators, suppliers
and drivers from all over the Russian Federation had
flocked to the Forum Taxi.
Below: For a conference with 600 attendees the Trade
Show was rather limited.
TAXI FORUM ST. PETERSBURG
DEMANDS ‘CLEARER
AND TIGHTER REGULATION’
About 600 attendees discussed a large variety in taxi-topics
at the two-day International Eurasian Forum Taxi in Sankt Petersburg
(August 6–7). Their main demand: an end to illegal taxis and
proper regulation.
In the beginning of the ‘90’s, when I made my first presentation
to the Annual Meeting of the American taxi-association
TLPA, I claimed that in its basic structures the taxi industry
is the same the world over. My remark was met with (some) laughter
from the disbelieving taxi operators in the audience, but that
could (also) easily have been because in my presentation I showed
a slide of the Mercedes E200 – a luxury car in the US - as Europe’s
main taxi model. It took about ten years before the American
operators were also convinced that there is a great similarity
between taxi operations worldwide. Yet, we can all still learn a lot
from each other.
But after a recent visit to the Russian Federation, I began to
doubt my own words. When I attended the International Eurasian
Taxi Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 6 and 7, I saw few
similarities. True, the taxi drivers at the airport arrivals hall, trying
to find customers (an international phenomenon, surely?)
whilst saying ‘Official taxi, official taxi’, wore badges with a slight
variation on the international taxi checker band logo.
Yet, when the pre-ordered taxi driver dropped me at the hotel,
I searched in vain for a taxi meter in his Kia taxicab. There was
a wide array of electronic equipment on his dashboard (including
the ubiquitous dash cam widely used in Russia for insurance
purposes and a number of smartphones for dispatching and communication
plus a navigation system), but no meter. Instead the
driver pointed at one smartphone fixed to the windscreen where
I recognised an amount in ruble. I later learned that the trip length
and fare in Russia are measured with GPS-data in the dispatch
centre and then sent on to the driver’s smartphone. Fearing the
PHOTO: Wim Faber
PHOTO: Wim Faber
TAXI COOPERATION IMPROVES COMPETITION IN ST. PETERSBURG
A taxi conference is nothing without a
visit to a ‘live’ taxi company or dispatching
centre. St. Petersburg taxi
company ‘Semerochka’, created by
director general Alexei Gusev, provides
a good example. He and his commercial
director Alexandr Olhov, explained to
Taxi Times how every day the drivers
are medically checked in their facility,
which is part of a large Kia dealership.
Small wonder then that all cars are Kia’s
too. But there is a large variety on offer
for the drivers, both large and small Kia
models. Another area where drivers are
checked is in the behaviour on the road
and when it comes to providing service.
In each case there is a ranking and being
on top of the Top 10 of speeding cabbies
is frowned upon. Gusev has not only
developed an app for taxis, but also a
new fleet, ‘Taxi Seven’: he is sure the cab
trade can beat the likes of Yandex, Uber
and Get Taxi. It should also be easier,
using the app, to share trips between the
42 partner companies. The development
programme has taken 2 years and cost
the company 10 million rubles, which it
hopes to recoup in two to three years’ companies participating in the project
time.
TaxiSeven. The company sets its own
Semerochka is a member of the IRU’s rate for that: “As a rule, it is from 5 to
Global Taxi Network and works with 35%” says Gusev.
eCab to promote international taxi travel. Gusev is sure that this is the only way to
The application has been live in St. Petersburg
for two months and, according taxi apps. “If we do not rebuild under
compete with the increasingly popular
to Gusev, the profitability of the taxi has the new format, in a couple of years
increased by 10%. “Our solution makes it the owners of taxis may be left without
possible to unite all taxi companies of St. orders at all”, says Alexei Gusev.
Petersburg, reduce costs, improve
service for passengers
and create healthy competition”
says Gusev. TaxiSeven
includes applications for
client and driver, as well as
an online resource for the
exchange of orders between
taxi companies.
Even competing taxi companies
get work, to ensure that
the app system keeps busy
all the time. Semerochka
gets 10% of the orders given
Gusev (left) and Olhov are convinced their business
to another taxi company.
model is the only way forward for the taxi trade.
Partners may also transfer
trips and clients to other taxi
16 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
17

CONFERENCE
APPS
CHINESE-AMERICAN
COOPERATION
This company – looking for European
expansion – developed a system
of psychological assessment for
employing staff members in aviation,
public transport and taxis.
Everyone knows Uber by now, but
Lyft, another ride hailing service
using non-professional drivers, has
long been established in the U.S. The
company has not yet expanded beyond
the U.S., but has now announced a
noteworthy cooperation. It will be possible
in the future to hail a vehicle in
China with the Lyft app. You then
become a customer of Didi Kuaidi, the
leading taxi app in China, which also
hails at least some taxis. It is supposed
to work the other way around as well:
If you use Didi to hail a ‘taxi’ from
China in the U.S., you get a Lyft driver.
Didi Kuaidi is a merger of the former
biggest taxi and for hire vehicle companies
in China. Like Uber, the company
constantly receives capital from
investors and is now participating in
many applications in the Asian
region including GrabTaxi, which
offers its service in 26 cities in six
different countries in Southeast Asia.
The Chinese also invested 100 million
dollars in Lyft back in March. Not the
least because the media are speculating
as to whether GrabTaxi will soon
join the newly established network.
jh
Lyft: A ridiculous distinguishing feature, but a
competitor to be taken seriously in the passenger
transport market thanks to Chinese support.
There is a large choice in
taxi vehicles (most of them
assembled in St. Petersburg)
with many Nissan and Kiavehicles
in the local streets.
But no taxi meter …
every party offering transport on the taxi market – either by app
or in the more traditional way. The large number of illegal taxi
drivers and illegal providers of taxi services (apps, call-centres)
plus the lack of proper policing of the few rules which exist, clearly
anger the Russian colleagues.
There’s a lot still to do in Russia when it comes to proper taxi
regulation. Not just nationally, but especially regionally and locally.
A large number of politicians and regulators had come to the
Taxi Forum to discuss just that. The largest problem is the continuing
competition of illegal taxi drivers. No real surprise in a
country where sharing the scarce vehicles (for payment) was the
norm for decades. Why do illegal taxis still exist? An official taxi
licence doesn’t cost anything and is easily obtained. Stranger still:
it does not have to be handed in to the authorities when the operator
stops operating his taxi business. So even illegal taxi drivers
have the proper paperwork. There are many more licences in circulation
than actual taxis. And policing of the taxi trade is patchy,
depending on the region.
The many speakers and the audience repeatedly demanded
proper licensing and regular policing of licences, preferably with
a central (regional) database of legal taxi drivers and licences still
in circulation and being operated. Under the heading of ‘illegal
taxis’ come the drivers, but also the many booking centres and
dubious apps. Both booking centres and apps can be started and
closed at will, without any authority knowing about it. Often a
taxi company is not what is seems in Russia.
‘BEST PRACTICES’
The list of speakers was impressive. Most areas in the taxi world
were represented. Representatives from various ministries urged
the taxi industry to opt for more regional regulation, as the national
laws with regard to taxi transportation are relatively weak and
sketchy. The detailed legal work has to be done in the region with
the help of the federal framework. Taxi operators from certain
areas pointed out that by strengthening laws and by working
together with the authorities, the number of illegal taxis had been
reduced to nearly 0%. Some specialists in the audience also pointed
at developments in other countries, Russia could learn from.
For every presentation there was a long and protracted, but also
very enthusiastic discussion. A pattern which lasted for two days
and came back in every topic. In Russia, there is a great thirst for
information and technology. Another strongly worded demand:
learning from ‘best practices’, as some other regions have no special
policies to reduce the number of illegal taxis, call-centres and
apps. It doesn’t help that fines for trespassers are ridiculously low.
Having followed the discussion for a while, it is hard not to
think of the Russian taxi industry as the ‘Wild East’: for instance
access to airport ranks is often unregulated and badly organised,
the fare structure is only clear to seasoned users, the licencing
system badly needs an overhaul, taxation is often unclear and
there is a strong need for professional training of taxi drivers. In
that area the IRU Taxi Group promoted its ‘Taxi Stars’-programme,
a few weeks before it was launched officially in Athens on September
25 (see page 8).
One clear difference between ‘our’ taxi industry and the Russian
taxi sector: the large number of women in management and
other leading positions. Most themes dealt with in the conference
were similar to topics here: new forms of payment, credit cards,
development of apps, IT-problems and types of vehicles. Most dealt
with street-hail taxi – contract work seems to be in its infancy in
Russia, paratransit by taxi companies almost non-existent.
This image was reflected in the trade show: there was no taxi
meter to be found anywhere, but there were quite a few IT- and
app stands. Financial solutions and roof signs (with all sorts of
video messages) were also quite popular. Very different: a stand
with medical equipment (some taxi companies give drivers a quick
check-up every day) and a stand with a system of psychological
assessment for employing staff members. Strange: few classic car
brands from the West. Vehicles galore, but rather different ones:
from the Mercedes E220 and Sprinter to many Kia, Nissan, Citroën
and Lada models next to one Chinese brand.
wf
PHOTO: Wim Faber
PHOTOS: flickr/Alfredo Mendez, Fotolia / Konstantin Yolshin Fotolia / william87
Moscow’s taxi market is
estimated at $1 billion.
RUSSIA’S YANDEX
TAXI-APP BEATS UBER
In 2011 Russia’s Google, the main search engine Yandex, started running a
taxi-app that many now call ‘Russia’s Uber’. Where Uber has its own way in
many markets, it seems to have met its match in Russia. Latest figures suggest
between 15.000 and 20.000 taxis written up for the Yandex platform, whereas
Uber has between 3.000 and 5.000 taxicabs – less than Gett, with 10.000 taxis
in Moscow alone. Yandex is thinking of foreign expansion, starting in former
Russian states and Turkey.
The Yandex taxi app works like an aggregator. It doesn’t care which company
the cab is from, it finds the cab closest to the person needing a ride and
connects them. Some 200 to 300 cab companies have already opted for the
service.
This year Yandex Taxi plans to expand to 25 Russian cities starting from
Moscow and St. Petersburg. Investment sources think this move could bring
total sales for Yandex Taxi to 10 billion rubles (about $ 154 million). Moscow’s
taxi market alone is estimated at $1 billion.
wf
NEWSTICKER
NEW APP FOR
7,000 NEW YORK TAXIS
Since Uber expanded its activities to New
York, the local taxi trade has suffered substantial
losses. Many taxis stand vacant
because the previous drivers have now
been hired by the competition. Even more
serious is the fact that the value of a New
York taxi licence (medallion) has fallen
from one million to 500,000 dollars. The
taxi trade is now trying to regain lost territory
by developing the ‘Arro’ app. Unlike
the Uber app, the passenger does not have
to pay a two-dollar hailing fee. The app is
linked directly to the payment terminal in
the taxi, enabling cashless payments. The
passenger can also be sure that price will
not be raised indiscriminately during peak
traffic times (surge pricing). At the
moment, Arro users can ‘only’ hail around
7,000 yellow and green cabs in New York
(where Uber has already deployed 20,000
vehicles), but expansion to other cities in
the U.S. is planned.
jh
Arro: New York taxis now have their own app.
18 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
19

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TAXI_1506186_Aff_Metro_Visu_56x77.indd 1 20/08/2015 14:22
GLOBAL TAXI NETWORK
GLOBAL TAXI NETWORK
Christos Anagnostopoulos of
NextTaxi: a decent balance
between the number of passenger
requests and available
vehicles.
NEWSTICKER
ECAB PROVIDES
TAXIS FOR DOWN-
TOWN VANCOUVER
GREEK-EUROPEAN
TAXI INTEGRATION
An Athens-based taxi fleet has joined taxi.eu and the GTN network
as a consequence of massive changes in the Athens taxi trade. And it
proves that nothing can stand in the way of integration.
Around 2,9 million people live in
Athens and the Attica region
served by 13,772 taxis. In 1980,
these taxis made around 60 trips a day and
were sometimes double booked on these
trips. Back then, taxis were the most popular
mode of transport. They were cheap, and
TAXI.EU VS. TAXIBEAT
other means of public transport were not
developed as well.
But then came the major economic crisis
that forced the entire country under the
protection of the EU and radically transformed
the taxi trade. Since the expansion
of bus lines and the doubling of taxi prices
Hailing a Taxi in Athens
NextTaxi is the premium partner of
taxi-eu in Athens and Greece. Since the
fleet is still quite small, the orders are
taken mainly in the city centre and the
port of Athens for the time being. In a
city where taxis for decades used to be
hailed mainly in the street, customers
need to be gradually won over by the
advantages of a hailing app: dependable
drivers and reliable quality.
To communicate this to the public,
NextTaxi has invested a lot in advertising.
They distribute flyers and go to see
many customers in person. They even
take out front page newspaper ads.
taxi.eu stickers have also been placed
on the taxis. In a country where tourism
is a major revenue source, communicating
the European scope and familiar
name of the app is a key success factor
and highlights its advantage over the
competing app taxibeat.
The company, backed by a great deal
of venture capital, has already been on
the market since 2011 and is estimated
to cover around 80 per cent of the app
orders, but the app only allows taxis to
be hailed in Athens and in some South
American countries.
jh
between the turn of the century and 2010,
many residents have increased their use
of bus and rail transport and now rely less
on taxis.
The taxi trade initially had nothing
against this transformation. For one thing,
the established structures did not change.
Even today there are only a few taxi radio
circuits in Athens – around three quarters
of all taxis operate without them. The permit
holders are mainly buyers and sellers
of vehicles who are only interested in renting
licenced vehicles to taxi drivers for 24
hours. It is then up to the driver as to how
he gets his customers and how much
money he makes.
Finding new ways to get work
Only in the last few years this situation
has changed somewhat. The radio circuits
have increased the number of customers
through targeted advertising and have
been competing for a few years with the
‘taxibeat’ app, which connects passengers
directly with taxi drivers.
Christos Anagnostopoulos, managing
director of NextTaxi in Athens, is also finding
new ways to get work. He is continually
developing his customer base in the
city centre and at the port of Athens
(Piraeus). He receives and distributes
orders mainly via the taxi.eu app. Last year
the decision was made to partner with the
PHOTOS: Taxi Times, Wim Faber
PHOTO: taxi.eu, Taxi G7
European app. Since then, a lot of work has
gone into development. In order to display
the orders in Greek using their alphabet,
the entire software had to be converted to
UTF 8, a coding standard that enables the
use of nearly all international characters.
The hailing system also required additional
individual adjustments to specific
procedures at NextTaxi. The company
provides its customers with mainly viral
channels – you can order online, via Autobooker
or app. The driver and customer
must be able to communicate directly with
each other in order for this to work. This
also happens in more than one language.
“For example, when a passenger in Germany
requests a vehicle in Athens using
the taxi.eu app, he enters his location based
on the German version of Google Maps“,
explains Robert Abel from taxi.eu. “These
data are translated into Greek with geocoding
and reach the driver in his own language.
Now if he wants to tell the customer
that he will arrive five minutes late, he uses
a predefined text message that the passenger
then receives in German.”
This is how the ‘European server’ provided
by taxi.eu operator FMS Systems to its customers
overcomes language barriers and
makes a closer integration with the taxi
trade technically possible – without high
investment costs, since neither the radio
circuit nor the drivers need to buy or
install special hardware devices.
These were the determining factors that
influenced Anagnostopoulos’ decision to
go with taxi.eu. The web and app-based
hailing system has been in use in around
200 vehicles in his fleet since May. Only
200? “We have a long waiting list”, Christos
told the Taxi Times. He says that the plan
is to acquire additional customers before
integrating more vehicles in order to
ensure a decent balance between the number
of passenger requests and available
vehicles. Drivers need to earn a good living,
ideally as they did before the crisis,
back when the Athens taxi trade was totally
different. .
jh
Hermann Waldner, founder of taxi.eu, greeted the new partner in person in Athens.
eCab, one of the founding fathers of
the IRU Global Taxi Network (GTN),
will soon be providing taxi booking
services throughout all 4 downtown
Vancouver fleets: Yellow Cab, Blacktop
& Checker Cabs, Vancouver Taxi
and MacLure‘s Cabs. Users will
experience the best availability in
town along with various options and
value-added services. eCab is integrated
to MTData and DDS, the two
dispatch systems covering the city,
and eCab has built a pre-dispatch
engine to determine the closest taxi.
WINNING BACK THE
YOUNGER SEGMENT
Since the first of September, the
Paris radio circuit TAXIS G7 is offering
20% discount to young customers
at night. The offer is on every
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
night from 10 pm to 5 am for everyone
aged under 26.
The campaign aims at winning
back the younger segment and to
have more drivers on the road at
night. TAXIS G7 distributes cool
sunglasses and condoms as part of
the promotion carrying the slogan
“Ce soir, vous êtes sûr de choper au
moins un taxi” loosely translated to
“Tonight you will be sure to catch at
least a taxi”.
15 06 186 • affiche metro • 560 x 770 mm • visible : 540 x 750 mm • EXE : 1/2 : 280 x 385 mm • visible : 270 x 375 mm • visu • Remise: 18 juin thy - BAt
-20% avec NightCab
vous avez la nuit devant vous.
Vous avez bien fait de choisir
Vous avez moins de 26 ans ?
Bénéficiez de 20%de réduction
les jeudis, vendredis et samedis entre 22 h et 5 h du matin
en commandant votre taxi depuis l’application taxiS G7.
The look of G7’s advertising
campaign.
20 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
21

CARS
CARS
A pleasurable moment
out of the rain: The Café
Taxi was accessible without
entry to the IAA.
The future of the car: The new Toyota Prius+ for the short-term, the Mirai with fuel cells for the mid-term.
LINKED DRIVER APP,
SHARED TAXI
The absence of taxis at the IAA International Motor Show is almost
like a tradition. One of the few noteworthy exceptions were Mercedes
and a taxi-app that will not leave the taxi circuits and associations out
in the cold.
In September of every odd-numbered year, the German Association
of the Automotive Industry (VDA) organises the International
Motor Show (IAA) for cars at the exhibition site in
Frankfurt. This year, the 66th IAA was held with the theme “Mobility
Connects”. Ten years ago, navigation devices were still the most
advanced element in the dashboard. But these days, cars are computers
on wheels.
This was clearly evident in the latest Mercedes models. Daimler
AG was the only automaker with a separate taxi exhibition
that was presented at the trade show – before the IAA, to be precise.
The idea was to get away from the trade show so that anyone
without a ticket could visit the “Taxi” café pavilion. There were
various Mercedes-Benz cars in their special exhibit “The Taxi” in
the outdoor area in front of the west entrance. Mercedes taxis and
private hire vehicles range from compact models to vans, with B,
C, E and S-class models and the more spacious V-class models,
Vito Tourer and Citan. Included in the range are the B and E-class
models with natural gas engines. The new E-class is scheduled
for market launch in spring 2016 and will also be available as a
taxi starting in autumn 2016.
The software and hardware supplier FMS from Graz was also
represented in the taxi pavilion. Mercedes-Benz has developed a
fully integrated hailing system in cooperation with the Austrian
company. “We programmed a link connection with Mercedes that
projects the driver app on the Mercedes display and can be completely
controlled using the Mercedes system”, says Stefan Stipsits
from FMS. The system can be operated via the vehicle controller;
an additional display, cables and holes are no longer necessary.
The application does require the circuit to have an FMS solution
for the operators and that it uses to select the drivers. “The point
is for the apps to be operable using the display in the vehicles”,
says Stipsits. The system will be available starting in January 2016.
TOYOTA CONTINUES TO UPGRADE
Toyota’s redesigned Lexus GS 300h had its European premiere
at the IAA. The hybrid limousine has a consumption of 4.7 litres,
is powered by a 164 kW (223 PS) 2.5-litre petrol engine with a
high-performance electric engine, and is Toyota’s taxi model for
the luxury class. In addition to the GS 300h, the Japanese automaker
also offers the hybrids Auris Touring Sports, Prius and Prius
Plus, and the diesel models Verso and Avensis Touring Sports
with a taxi package. Toyota’s focus is on alternative engines, as
is clear from the selection of taxi models. “We are very pleased
that taxi drivers like the Prius Plus. Every taxi ride is also a test
drive”, says Toyota´s Olga Baumgarten. The electric mode lets
you drive without consuming fuel, without emissions and nearly
silently. Baumgarten says that the “comfort of the Lexus combined
with the fuel economy of the hybrid models” makes it very popular.
“We are surprised and pleased with its success”, says the
Toyota marketing specialist about the car’s success in the sector.
Toyota is taking another step into the future with the Mirai,
which it presented at the IAA. With the Mirai, Japanese automak-
PHOTOS: Florian Osrainik
PHOTOS: Florian Osrainik
Enjoying “undivided” attention: Employees
at the Shäre-a-Taxi trade show booth.
ers are offering the first mass-produced fuel cell saloon and
bypassing the limitations of battery-powered electric cars. The
Mirai, whose name comes from the Japanese word for “future”,
can drive a distance of 500 kilometres after three minutes of
charging time and emits only steam. The supply of hydrogen, the
most promising technology of the future, is virtually endless; it
can be made from waste and many natural base materials and is
easy to store and transport. There will be 50 hydrogen filling stations
in Germany by the end of 2015, and 400 are planned for
2023. Toyota chairman Takechi Uchiyamada believes that, in the
future, “hydrogen will be what petrol was to the automotive industry
during the first hundred years.”
Nothing is impossible: FMS will soon enable a direct data transfer to
the Mercedes-Benz display.
THE “TAXI SHARING APP”
The future of car engines could be hydrogen. But what changes
will the taxi trade be facing? Are there new business areas in
addition to new engine types? We found an answer to this question
on the first floor in hall three. This is where the “New Mobility
World” was located. Shäre-a-Taxi, a Munich-based start-up,
was also taking part. The app was launched on the market in
Munich in January, has been available in Frankfurt since September,
and is cooperating with local taxi circuits. Three to four additional
major cities in Germany will follow until the end of the year
and there are plans to check out major cities elsewhere in Europe
over the next few years – London und Paris in particular.
Unlike apps such as mytaxi or gettaxi, Shäre-a-Taxi does not
require the driver to have an app on his device. The advantage
for the trade is that taxis will be less expensive for the customer,
since the passengers split the cost, while the company and drivers
receive the full price. The price and route are calculated by
the app, so there is no need for discussion between the driver and
the passengers, or among the passengers.
The customers have to enter their destination and order a taxi
for the same time. After the customers (Captain) hail the taxi and
begin the journey, the app calculates whether it is worth it to
share the journey with other requested travel routes. For example,
the app might suggest a detour of three minutes to the customer
that will save €15. If the customer shares the taxi with
another passenger, the latter must be picked up at the agreed
place. If the additional passenger is dropped off along the way or
if both passengers have the same destination, the app calculates
the fair price for each. A cashless payment is charged by the taxi
circuit. This is a successful example of how taxi driving can be
less expensive without resorting to legally disputed discount
promotions.
fo
22 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
23

NUMBERS
DEMONSTRATION
GREEK
STATISTICS
2
SCHICHT-
BETRIEB
Left: International
taxi solidarity in the
streets of Brussels.
Middle: The main
target of the demo.
The major economic crisis in
Greece also affected the taxi trade,
particularly in Athens.
DOUBLE
OCCUPANCY
50% of the Athens taxis
operate double shifts
Talking tactics:
the colleagues
from Paris.
Right: The EU Commission
was the
final stop of the taxi
protest.
SHORT TRIPS IN ATHENS
Average value of a taxi trip in Athens: €5
Average daily revenue: €60–80
Decline in average earnings of taxi drivers
from 2010 to 2015: 70%
POVERTY LINE
Annual income in euros that
an individual living alone must
earn in order to remain above
the poverty line: €5,910
5.910 €
TAXI
UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE IN GREECE:
25,6%
(as of March 2015)
CONCENTRATION
IN THE CAPITAL
Number of taxi licences in Greece: 30.000
Number of taxi licences in the greater Athens area: 13.772
LONG
WAITING
TIMES
Up to 5,000 taxis wait at
night at the Athens airport
to pick up a passenger
for the city during the day
(€38 fixed price).
60
50
37
10
1980 1990 2000 2015
600% LESS
Average trips made by a taxi in Athens
in 24 hours (t/24h)
A STATE
LIVING ON
CREDIT
National debt (estimated)
in 2014: €317.3 billion
STATE ON
CREDIT
PHOTO: Sven Hoppe / dpa
PHOTO: Wim Faber
TAXI SECTOR TAKES
INTERNATIONAL
PROTEST TO EU
On Wednesday September 16 around 500 taxis
from Brussels and other Belgian cities plus
delegations from France, Spain, Portugal and
even London demonstrated against Uber in the
European capital.
For several hours they blocked the
Brussels inner ring and Schuman
Square in front of the European
Commission. Incidentally South Station
and the road to the airport were blocked
as well. Compared to the demonstration of
European farmers, a few days earlier, the
taxi trade demonstrated quite peacefully.
The Sunday before Brussels taxis had
offered their services for 50% of the
metered fare – indicating that this 50% is
the part of the fare Uber doesn’t pay in
social premiums, insurance and tax.
STRICTER CONTROLS
Interestingly, following the demonstration
and a meeting with the communal front of
taxi associations and trade unions, Belgian
minister Tommelein (Fraude) announced
there would be stricter controls on the payment
of social premiums and tax by Uber.
A study which Tommelein commissioned
has just proved that Uber-drivers are independent
operators and not employees. The
Belgian trade unions – following the latest
California Uber judgement – see Uber-drivers
as employees.
Two days later Uber suddenly announced
it would automatically check the VAT-numbers
of its Belgian drivers and work with
the tax office to counter tax fraud. Those
not following the rules would be ‘deactivated’,
according to the app. The ‘technology
firm’ may be more interested in
Driven all the way from
London – a member
of trade union Unite.
working with the authorities because the
Brussels Secretary for Mobility, Smet, is
studying ways of legalising the Uber-services
and the EU has just started a research
project into platforms like Uber and
AirBnB, which could lead to EU-wide regulation.
Just before the demonstration Smet
was seen having lunch with Uber top-brass
Davif Plouffe. Reason why the demonstrators
delivered fresh rolls to Smet’s office.
For the Belgian taxi operators the outcome
of the day was rather meagre. After
over a year of governmental ‘non-action’,
they would liked to have seen some more
decisive action by the authorities – referring
to measures banning UberPOP in Germany
and The Netherlands. wf
24 TAXI OCTOBER / 2015
25

NEWS
THE TINY TOWN
WHERE EVERYONE
TAKES TAXIS
Whilst cabs are busy in
Bethel, Alaska,
here in Boston (and in
many places in the US)
the largest local cab
companies have trouble
finding drivers to fill
shifts. This photo was
taken at 11.00 in the
morning!
PUBLICATION INFORMATION
PHOTOS: Peter Schenkman
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In the town of Bethel, Alaska, private
cars are prohibitively expensive,
just like petrol. There’s no public
transport – so most of the 6.000 inhabitants
take taxis all the time.
Yes, taxis! Bethel has the highest
number of taxis per capita. A curious
story dug up by The Atlantic tells the
story of a small town with only two shuttle
buses. Ask just about anyone in town
if they’ve ever taken the bus, and they
laugh in your face.
There are no major roads in and out
of Bethel, so bringing in cars makes
them twice as expensive as elsewhere.
Even used cars are expensive. Petrol is
just as expensive as in Europe. And
that’s high. But thankfully there are
about 70 taxi drivers in Bethel, one for
every 85 people, making it the city in
America with the most taxis per capita.
“In one sense, our cabs are our public
transit,” Leif Albertson, the vice-mayor,
told The Atlantic.
But a surfeit of taxis does not mean
that transportation is affordable, either.
A ride in town costs $5 per person ($ 1=
€ 0,88), no matter how short the trip. A
ride to the airport, or to the suburbs,
costs $7. A stop en-route costs $1, plus
$1 per minute after three minutes. That
starts to add up in a town where 23 percent
of the population is below the poverty
line. That’s why many people walk.
Cabs came to Bethel in 1975 – when
two brothers came to town together with
many government jobs. They started a
cab company, Kusko Cab. The cab companies
also diversified Bethel. Looking
for employees who had clean driving
records and the capital to lease a taxi,
companies started to recruit family and
friends from overseas. Kusko is now
known around town as the ‘Albanian’
cab company because it employs mostly
drivers from Albania and Macedonia.
The other three cab companies employ
mostly Koreans.
Driving a cab in Bethel used to be
lucrative. Less so now. Taxi drivers are
rumoured to make $ 100.000 or more.
Asked about that, Joe Yoon, a Korean
taxi driver, scoffed. “Not even close,” he
said. Yoon estimates that he carries
about 80 people a day around Bethel.
Insurance costs $7,000 a year, and he
has to pay the cab company $250 a
week, as well as pay for fuel and maintenance
costs for his cab. The roads in
Bethel, which are all dirt save one, are
pretty unforgiving for cars.
But to earn some extra cash, some
cab drivers have become involved in
Bethel’s notorious bootlegging industry,
a development the local government is
trying to quash. Get into many cabs in
Bethel, and ask for alcohol, and the
driver will take you to a bootlegger.
Other drivers charge a specific amount
to drive people around while they
drink, Mark Springer, a city councilman,
said. Springer recently introduced
a bill that would revoke the license of
drivers who are found to be selling alcohol
from their cabs.
wf
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