TRADE FAIRS TRADE FAIRS
TRADE FAIRS TRADE FAIRS Most taxi drivers at the Salon were positive about the new taxi-law. “taxi.eu Istanbul” was one of 28 exhibitors of “Taxi World Turkey” One seminar dealt with the taxis’ role in … 1914. Unusual suppliers next to the classic ‘taxi brands’. SALON DES TAXIS: CAREFUL OPTIMISM WITH NEW LAW The jury is still out on the new law on taxis and VTC, but the atmosphere at the bi-annual Paris taxi exhibition (31/01–01/02) was upbeat. TURKEY’S TRADE FAIR GETS OFF TO A GOOD START No surprise that most conference seminars centred on the new law on taxis and VTC (private hire) and had standing room only. One topic was typically French: one seminar paid its respects to the heroic efforts by the Paris taxi drivers in WW1 to get as many soldiers to the Marne-front near Paris as possible. The Renault taxis (one was shown at the Salon) from taxi company G3 transported 5.000 soldiers in two days. (The seminars – in French – can be found on: www.salondestaxis.com). RISING INTEREST With over 5.000 visitors in two days the Salon is the main exhibition in France. Created in 1998 and organised by Marc Szperling, the 2015 edition – the 12th – is the largest so far: 1.000m2 more than in 2013. “This underlines the rising interest of the companies supplying the taxi industry”, Szperling told our colleagues of 100%Taxi. “Even though taxi drivers (the main audience of the Salon) are wondering about their future, there has been a clear increase in numbers from Salon to Salon. I am sure the taxi sector, which is very visible in France, will adapt to the new demands customers make on it.” »Any app must use licensed taxior VTC-drivers. You can no longer have apps using private drivers.« Almost half the stand space was taken up by the largest Paris radio circuit and its affiliates: Group G7. This company not only dispatches cabs, but also sells and lets vehicles (with and without licences) and other taxi equipment, and provides driver training. “We welcome the new law, which was voted almost on the last day of 2014, but it will now depend on how well the authorities put a stop to all illegal app-activities”, says G7 CEO Serge Metz. “The good thing is that any app must use licensed taxi- or VTC-drivers. You can no longer have apps using private drivers and their vehicles.” VERY NATIONAL MARKET What doesn’t benefit the industry in France is the large number of industry associations and unions: about ten (!) were represented at the Salon’s entrance, but they were taking up much less space than the vehicle suppliers. Skoda, VW, Opel, Renault, Citroen and Mercedes were most noticeable, next to unusual taxi brands like Infiniti and Suzuki. Apart from the leading rooflight- and meter-suppliers in the now open French market (ATA, Kienzle and Hale), many independent and mostly French suppliers had focused on taxi apps, with ‘offwigo’ as one of the most interesting startups. In that respect France remains a very special and independent, but also very national market. n wf PHOTOS: Wim Faber PHOTOS: Taxi Times Turkey’s first taxi trade fair took place this year. Nearly 30 exhibitors presented their products at ‘Taxi World Turkey’ In Istanbul. With celebratory words, Yahya Uğur, the Istanbul taxi association president, cut the red ribbon and inaugurated the first taxi trade fair in Turkey. Associations, drivers’ unions, many service providers and vendors of taxi-related products were present. Vehicle manufacturers did not participate, although there would have been enough space in the Istanbul trade fair hall, which was two thirds full. New taxi regulations will soon come into effect in Istanbul and other Turkish cities, which is why the exhibitors focused on the needs of the domestic market. Digitisation is also underway in the Turkish taxi industry. Numerous app providers such as Takside, IQ-Taxi, Bitaksi (the Turkish version of mytaxi) and taxi.eu provide the sector, an additional and much more efficient alternative to the usual neighbourhood taxis stands. And so the model of a historical ‘Istanbul T 48’ taxi presented by Bitaksi took on a symbolic meaning: While the Turkish taxi market is still very traditional, the future is poised to emerge from the background in the form of smartphone apps. • jh Yahya Uğur (middle), president of the Istanbul Taxi Association, visits Hermann Waldner (second from the left), whose app taxi.eu will be coming to Istanbul. TAXIMETER BOOM There are 17,000 taxis in Istanbul. It was no surprise that so many taximeter manufacturers were presenting their products. In addition to the Turkish leaders Alberen and Taksim as well as newcomer ATA, there were several well-known European manufacturers such as Digitax, Taxitronic and Semitron. The Greek manufacturer presented a new LP 50 thermal printer that is linked to the taximeter by cable or Bluetooth. jh 16 TAXI MARCH / 2015 17
