Brussels, Belgium: Uber and the conventional cab drivers in Brussels have, at best, had a turbulent history together. Uber wants to integrate taxi drivers onto its app despite its murky past, but this is offending the platform’s existing users.
The removal of Covid-19 limits gave Brussels a fresh lease on life, resulting in an increase in traffic. The root from which the unequal playing field sprouted, which culminated in frequent, traffic-disrupting demonstrations by both sides, is that Uber is aiming to include conventional taxi drivers on its platform in order to meet this demand for taxi services.
According to Caspar Nixon, Head of Communications at Uber EMEA, “it is true that the interaction between our riders and taxi drivers has been at best difficult.” However, the business anticipates that this will improve interactions between different sorts of drivers.
The business has secured an agreement in New York that allowed the iconic yellow taxis to sign up for its app, and it is currently in talks to introduce the same arrangement in other European countries, including Spain.
Along with this, Uber’s communications manager for Belgium-Rick Janse Kok, by implementing this system, Uber is looking to adhere to the new rules and regulations of the Brussels taxi ordinance, which merged traditional taxi drivers, who are held to strict regulations, as well as LVC-chauffeur licence platform riders.
In addition, the ordinance establishes one common statute for the paid passenger transport sector with the same operating conditions for operators as well as drivers and means that traditional taxi drivers can be included on these ride-hailing apps.
As per Nixon, aside from reducing waiting times for passengers using the app by having more riders at their disposal, including traditional taxi drivers on the platform would also give them more work opportunities. He mentioned in the statement, “A win-win situation, really.”
Furthermore, Uber is working with the harmonised taxi sector to develop services further, and drivers have been able to register to use the Uber app since the previous week, as per Kok.
