https://bluelightblogspot.blogspot.com/2020/06/taxis-in-crisis.html?spref=twHailo launched in Dublin 10 years ago to the delight of both taxi drivers and customers. A simpler, quicker way to order a taxi had customers downloading the app in their droves. Drivers, who had for decades been working with radio companys or working the streets signed up to Hailo in their thousands.
The promise of no base fees, the ability to accept jobs from anywhere and only being charged a percentage of each job done was revolutionary. Hailo delivered on their promises and became the friend of taxi drivers and the taxi hailing public.
Unfortunately this excellent company sold out to Europe's My taxi and things became a bit sinister. Customers and drivers complained about the new app. It wasn't as efficient as the Hailo app which had during it's time tweaked the model to suit all.
A very sinister turn of events came about when My taxi sold out to Daimler and BMW. These motor giants invested heavily into a taxi app!!!
The company had been reporting losses and still does today, yet they pay bonuses to drivers for special event nights, give discounts to customers for first time use of the app, spend millions on advertising in the airports etc. etc.
They are constantly trying to entice new drivers into the industry, even paying for area knowledge training and the test. They consistently barrage existing drivers with ads on the app offering big bonuses for bringing a friend on board.
Every second taxi on Dublin streets is adorned with the Freenow livery. All paid for by Freenow on the promise that the driver will be considered an ambassador and entitled to special privileges.
WHY? Why are these car companies investing so heavily in an app that is losing money?
When the name changed from My taxi to Freenow, what was the reasoning behind it?
Customers joked that the taxi was free, no fare to be paid. Taxi drivers were bewildered by the name. At least with My taxi the word " taxi" was in there, Hailo was pretty obvious, so why Freenow?
Here's why, and why it's owned by car companies who keep investing in a loss making enterprise................................................................Freenow means FREE (from a driver) NOW.
With the speed of technology ever increasing, companys are constantly having to change and look to the future. The future for the motor industry is the self driving car. People in the future won't need to own a car, they'll just hit an app on a smart phone and a car will come to them, it will take them wherever they want and then park itself awaiting the next call.
Daimler and BMW will be huge players in this market because they already own the biggest app in Europe. All they need is to develop and build self driving cars and they will own the taxi industry.
What they are doing now is keeping the Freenow app alive, advertising it, building its customer base so that when the time comes, they will take over.......free from drivers now.
Some seem to think driverless cars are 10 years down the road, Tesla are at present testing their driverless car on Irish roads. Toyota have invested heavily into Uber with the same objective as Daimler and BMW. We'll see taxi bots soon enough.
As taxi drivers you are assisting in this plan. You are keeping the app serviced, keeping it in people's minds, advertising on your cars, it's been said before,
" IT'S LIKE TURKEYS VOTING FOR CHRISTMAS "
In recent times Freenow have become a member of the taxi advisory committee and have started to behave like the national transport authority, making rules etc.
What we have now is a fox in the henhouse...............
FREENOW..................................................A MASSIVE THREAT TO THE TAXI INDUSTRY
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