Taxi Driver Online

Taxi tie-up sees Bolt link with London’s black cabbies

https://www.cityam.com/taxi-tie-up-sees ... k-cabbies/

A major taxi industry tie-up will see ride-hailing service Bolt make London’s black cabs available on their apps from today.

Londoners using Bolt will now be able to order London’s iconic taxis to get around the capital as the firm introduces a ‘black cab’ category on the app.

London’s cabbies have teamed up with mobility apps before, with FreeNow making the move after the acquisition of Hailo in 2019, but Bolt is by far the largest platform to include them in their service.

Josh Ryan, Bolt’s country manager for UK rides, said: “We’re really excited to be creating this category in London, linking drivers into a much bigger passenger pool and offering passengers more choice. “

“We have lots of experience of operating traditional taxi markets so we hope to be able to create a vibrant, mutually beneficial service that offers Londoners another way around in advance of the king’s coronation and warmer months.”

Bolt will add a small £2 booking fee to the metered trip fare, which drivers will receive. On top of this, the firm will receive a £2 fee for each trip.

Commission will be suspended for drivers brought into the scheme before 30 April 2023. After that, Bolt will charge the £2 commission from drivers on every trip.

After the first six months on the platform for cabbies who join before 30 April 2023. Passengers will get 15 per cent off their first trip of up to £10.

Bolt hopes that the announcement could help improve relations between black cabbies and ride-hailing services, which has long been strained.

In 2019, drivers launched a legal challenge against Uber, arguing that the firm’s licence to operate in London was granted by a ‘biased judge’. Major protests have been held by black cab drivers in the capital over the last 10 years.

Bolt told City A.M. they had conducted interviews and research with black cab drivers to find out what works best.

The firm launched in London in 2019 and currently operates in19 other UK cities.

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IDFIMH

Next it will be Black cabs tying up with Ufail

I bet this has caused a few heated debates amongst the drivers !

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

When Uber first started you could book a black cab on their app.

Times are changing, and it would not surprise me to see black cabs back on the Uber app.

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IDFIMH

Yes, interesting. There were certainly no takers first time round. And whether Bolt's new marketing pitch is just wishful thinking, or whether it'll bear fruit, remains to be seen. But, as you allude, attitudes can change.

Meanwhile, Freenow obviously appealing to the HC trade in Eastbourne, but hardly a surprise after their rampant sucess in Brighton

Or so they claim


Taxi app announces it is coming to Eastbourne

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/pe ... ne-4120030

A taxi app has announced that it will be coming to Eastbourne at the start of May.


Image: Sussex Express

Mobility Super App, FREENOW, will be launching its taxi service in Eastbourne from May 3.

Using the FREENOW app, passengers are able to quickly and easily book a taxi, which allows them to track the fare for their ride and when the taxi will arrive.

This launch comes off the heels of FREENOW’s success in Brighton, where the company has been present since 2018.

During last year alone, the company registered a 25 per cent growth in demand and a 10 per cent growth in trips in this area, as more people rely on the FREENOW app to book their taxis locally.

Vincent Franco, Hackney taxi driver and Committee member of the Eastbourne Hackney Taxi Association, said: “I’m delighted that Eastbourne Hackney taxi drivers are able to use the FREENOW app. The app is easy to use and gives me access to a huge customer base from the UK and Europe. This is a great advantage since it increases the chance to get more jobs from tourists and other visitors to the region.”

Mariusz Zabrocki, UK General Manager at FREENOW UK, said: “It is our job to continue responding to increased demand for our service across the UK. Following the success of FREENOW in Brighton, Eastbourne is the next logical step for us.

“Not only does this expansion help us to meet the increasing demand for fast and accessible travel in the area, but it also allows us to continue prioritising taxi drivers by offering them high earnings and other unique advantages of using our app.”


Image: Sussex Express

And presumably the attitude of traditional circuits to multi-platform working it still on the change as well?

Came across this the other day from Belfast. Of course, this may be out of date:

A few independent hackneys have it, but I'm not convinced how much work comes from it.

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IDFIMH