After Removing Taxi From It’s Name, Then Taking On Private Hire Cars, Free Now Is To Trial Even More Taxi Driver Competition With New Services, Such As E-Scooters And E-Bikes!!!

The company is looking at offering e-scooters, e-bikes and car sharing services via platform. 

Alleged Taxi-hailing company FreeNow intends to trial allowing their users in Ireland to access shared micromobility services such as electric bikes and e-scooters via third parties through its app from next year.

Free Now has already partnered with third-party providers such as e-scooter sharing service Voi in some markets, and manager Niall Carson said it is now looking at providing something similar in Ireland.

The news comes as Mr Carson said the company had enjoyed a strong run-up to Christmas, after seeing passenger numbers slump by as much as 86 per cent in April due to Covid restrictions.

He said Free Now is in talks with a number of third-party providers about the provision of new services on its platform, including a well-known car-sharing company, as it already does in the jewel in the crown, London. 

Rebranding

Mr Carson said:

“We have had an unexpected level of new app downloads in December and also a huge number of new passengers started to use the app as they ventured out after the easing of restrictions,” he added.

Free Now country manager Niall Carson: “I think we’ll have more new passenger conversions as we come out of lockdown and as people begin to travel around much more.”

The company faced criticism after rebranding for the third time locally but Mr Carson said that as more services were added to its platform the rebrand makes more sense.

“The reason why we opted to remove the word taxi from our name is because we are now essentially a mobility-as-a-service provider and I think that it is becoming clearer as we offer other travel options,” he said.

“An additional benefit is that more services actually lead to more taxis being taken for journeys which are that big longer.”

Free Now’s expansion comes as legislation to allow e-scooters on Irish roads is expected to be passed shortly.

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT: 

So there you have it....a company takes charge of a Taxi company, then removes the word Taxi from its name, introduces privat hire cars into its service and now plans to introduce new forms of transport which will compete with its own Taxi and private hire drivers.

I think it's called Turkeys voting for Christmas!