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CHAUFFEUR DRIVE<br />
Back-seat<br />
RIDERS<br />
Does the traditional chauffeur-driven transfer still have<br />
a place in business travel in a world in which cutting costs<br />
and carbon emissions prevails, asks Rob Gill<br />
With all the talk about ride-hailing<br />
apps, car-sharing and electric<br />
vehicles, it would perhaps be<br />
tempting to think of chauffeur-drive as<br />
a luxurious anachronism that most<br />
corporates are now shying away from.<br />
But leading chauffeur-drive players say<br />
demand for their services continues to grow,<br />
particularly when visiting unfamiliar<br />
destinations, and is driven by an increased<br />
focus on duty of care and a desire by<br />
companies to provide a high-quality and<br />
personalised service to their travellers.<br />
Martin Edwards, Chief Operating Officer of<br />
TBR Global Chauffeuring, says: “Even in the<br />
age of ride-hailing apps, we find the demand<br />
is still there for corporate travellers who<br />
prefer the premium service of a professional<br />
chauffeur and the guaranteed amenities that<br />
come with opting for a ground transportation<br />
provider. Duty of care is of paramount<br />
importance to the customer.”<br />
Similarly, Germany-based chauffeur firm<br />
Blacklane says it has seen sales double<br />
year-on-year, helped by an increased focus<br />
by corporates on the safety and security of<br />
employees along with an “easier and more<br />
efficient” booking process.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are still plenty of circumstances<br />
where corporates are willing to pay for a<br />
chauffeur-drive service, adds Dave Tanner,<br />
Senior Manager, Thought Leadership, at<br />
American Express Global <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Travel</strong>.<br />
“Depending on local conditions, chauffeurdrive<br />
can offer a better travel experience<br />
than other ground transport modes,” he<br />
says. “In some destinations, traveller safety<br />
concerns may mean corporations will want<br />
to limit ground transport options to vetted<br />
chauffeured services only.”<br />
However, Rebecca Deadman, Commercial<br />
Director at Blue Cube <strong>Travel</strong>, says it has<br />
“noticed a fall in demand for chauffeur-drive<br />
in recent years as other more cost-effective<br />
alternatives have come into the market”.<br />
She adds: “One of the most frustrating<br />
aspects of chauffeur-drive is final price and<br />
instant purchase. With Uber, clients have a<br />
fair idea of the price at the point of sale. It’s<br />
still a very grey area with chauffeurs, as we<br />
are invoiced after the event and add-ons are<br />
applied such as waiting time and parking.”<br />
TBR<br />
16 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
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