A (small) showdown is underway between the municipal government and the Nice taxi union regarding the agreement to apply a flat rate of 6 euros for rides after the end of the nighttime bus service.
This would be an extension of the agreement reached between the same municipality and UBER. The flat rate price will be integrated with an amount covered by the City, which in turn could minimally reorganize its service with the accompanying cost reductions. Running a bus with few paying passengers on board is not very profitable.
However, the mere mention of Uber is the equivalent of a red rag to a bull for taxis.
Called to the discussion table by the city hall to analyze the problem and find a consensual solution, the Nice taxis have boycotted the meeting. For now, there is no threat of a strike, a first partial walkout occurred on July 5 when the City Hall-Uber agreement was announced, but it was just for a few hours and was followed by a minority.
The behavior of the taxis is primarily driven by a corporate logic. The profession suffers from the liberalization of the offer: the VTC service like Uber, carpooling like BlaBlaCar and similar, the advance of the tramway (before Christmas, Nice airport will be served), the regulation of rates for trips from/to the airport… all elements that have reduced or will reduce the flexibility of their activity, which also means more transparency.
The initiative of the municipal government, beyond the specific modalities, is going in the right direction: using the VTC service at a reduced price makes it possible to meet marginal demand and improve customer service by personalizing it and ensuring more security. (taking from the starting point to the home).
The fact that taxis are rather against this innovative drive by the municipality should not be overly surprising, corporations are always conservative and protect the interests of their members even against evidence.
In fact, for them, the fewer competitors there are, the better. The idea that by lowering prices, the market and the number of customers can be expanded has not yet been considered.
And so much for consumer interest, which should be the priority of an “open” society.
