Bacically this is what Free Now are doing . .Free Now own the App not the Cars or Bikes or Scooters .What they are doing is allowing the Owners of the Vehicles piggyback on their app, use their maps .Which Taxi drivers have helped create by their local knowledge .The hire charge of the Bikes or Scooters would not yield enough profit so they are introducing a Tec charge which will apply when one of their Customers uses the app .The calculation they are taking is that Bike or Scooter hire is the future not Taxis .What they are not considering is that The Irish Government could introduce a Licensing System for use of Motorized scooters or Bikes .
If you read their research they seem to believe Scooters and Electric bike rental is the future .Their Financial report states their turnover for Europe is Quater of a Billion .That would be 350 Million pre tax before business costs .JP Mc Manus bets more than that in a Year .I doubt they make a Profit in Ireland .They are struggling for Drivers .This Tech charge looks like a desperation play to cash in with a second rate app to make coin off of other transport providers in the future .
So they changed the Name from My Taxi to Free Now because they are NOT a taxi app ,they are a Transport App .Like Google or Facebook or Deliveroo they are an App and they Operate in the Transport Sector .Mercedes are an investor in the App as they might need the Data if they ever get into the Driverless Car market ,
IF you read their report they see the Future of Urban transport as integrated with less car ownership and more people using Scooters or Bikes or taxis and their Business Plan is to PARTNER with the owners of these Vehicles to offer their services for reward .They dont have the Coin to buy or own the Vehicles but they do have the existing European App with point to point maps developed by taxi drivers over the years .Dublin and Other European Cities will be Pedestrianized but Scooters and Bikes will be allowed and Free Now are positioning themselves to be the main Go to App for people using those services .Their thinking is possibly traceability .Insurance will possibly be introduced for both Bike and Scooter use and they will insure the User third party in app when you use their app to hire a Electric Bike Car or Scooter anywhere in Europe .
Now think about this .There is No Such thing as a Driverless Taxi its only a concept .If they ever invent a Driverless Car why call it a taxi its a driverless car and people will be able to rent the CAR to take them where they want to go .
If I have this right or if Free Now have it right there are plenty of taxis what we need is more Busses ,More Electric Bikes and Scooters to rent more electric cars to rent more Pedestrianization of Streets like Capel Street where bikes are allowed .Explains all the dolled off bike lanes in the City Center .The Government cannot cut Rural transport numbers but they can cut numbers in Cities by restricting the roaduse and reducing the Parking Spaces .Free Now are positioning themselves for the New Future of Urban transport .They are betting on their Brand Free Now becoming the Google or Facebook of Hired transport .If they are successfull they will have taxi drivers by the bollox the freight will rise .Give it four or five years they will be all environmentally pure dropping dirty diesels and going all Electric Scooter ,Bike taxi or car rental .Free Now are NOT a TAXI app they are a transport app and they will become an Environmentally Friendly Transport App .Read their Report its all in there .the 1 Euro tech charge is more to do with their E bike and E scooter hire in fact it works against taxi drivers when added to the PUC .So work Capture now means .Free Now putting our passengers on their new Partners Bikes and Scooters .If or when they become the Go to transport app they will probably increase your Freight to 25 or 30% and you wont have a choice as they will have brand recognition.
Think about this a Driverless taxi would be restricted to the metered fare but a driverless car can charge what they like .Open your minds see the BIG Picture .
