– It shouldn’t be law, it’s unfair – E24

After the new taxi regulations went into effect in November 2020, the sharing economy actor Uber is back in the Norwegian market.

In an era of much less traffic for the taxi industry, several taxi drivers have started driving for Uber, in addition to being affiliated with a taxi hub. If you order an Uber now, it can quickly happen that the car you get has a taxi light on the roof.

Both Norgestaxi and Oslo Taxi, two of Norway’s biggest players, have been forced to notify employees that this is not allowed with them.

– It shouldn’t be law, it’s unfair. You can’t work for two companies, says taxi driver Bilal Ahmed Naz, who drives for Oslo Taxi.

Point out that it will be like being a soccer fan, but cheering for all the teams. Naz reacts both to the fact that taxi drivers help the competitor and to the fact that taxis that do so gain an advantage.

– If you work for Uber, you cannot stop at the stop, then you must have a taxi light. Taxis that run for both can take both trips from the stop and the app, Naz says.

– They die of hunger

He says that it’s often the smaller companies that have allowed their drivers to drive for Uber. He would not drive an Uber himself also if allowed, because it doesn’t pay well enough.

Bytaxi, which operates in and around Oslo, is one of the smallest companies that allows its drivers to drive for Uber. Driver Ehsan Mehmood has been driving a taxi for 15 years and will not drive for Uber.

– It is true that we are allowed, but it is not profitable. Uber takes 25 percent of what you make, Mehmood says.

You understand that some taxi drivers still choose to do so, but you think that these are drivers who do not have enough trips, or are new and have not calculated how much they earn from it.

– They’re starving, so what are they going to do? They pay a lot to have the car, so they have to work. But they don’t gain much from it, Mehmood says.

– I’m sorry

Oslo Taxi CEO Gunnar Frogner Dahl is aware that some taxi companies allow their drivers to drive for Uber.

– We think it is unfortunate that others allow it, says Dahl.

For them, it is irrelevant to allow associated taxi owners and drivers to drive for the sharing economy operator. Dahl says the associate driver feedback is good on this decision.

– For us, it is a valuable choice. We want to protect our own brand and we don’t want to be associated with the business model that Uber uses. And we believe we have the best control over all sales by registering through us, says Dahl.

Oslo Taxi is not aware of any of its drivers driving for Uber. If it is revealed, they will lose their connection to Oslo Taxi immediately, Dahl says.

– Is it possible to know if someone is driving for Uber in their taxis?

– Yes. But it’s clear that we rely primarily on advice or specific complaints to investigate cases, Dahl says.

Cabonline Group CEO Dag Kibsgaard-Petersen, owner of Norgestaxi, understands that taxi drivers may be tempted to take on assignments for Uber as well. But even for them, it is not relevant to allow this for the drivers who are associated with them.

– We have our own brands and must be loyal to them, says Hvilen,

He highlights that for them, especially during the day, there should be enough work for drivers despite the crisis in the crown, since the company has contracted driving as patient transport, adapted transport and school transport to lean on. Oslo Taxi also has these types of contracts.

Believe denial is impossible

Among the exchanges that have enabled Uber taxi rides is Bytaxi, which operates primarily at the street and stall market in Oslo.

Owner and CEO Jarle Kanaris believes that the largest companies are sitting on their moral horse when they criticize this decision. That doesn’t mean I’m excited about Uber.

“But I can’t demand that affiliate licensees who don’t make money on a melted street and shut down the market during a pandemic also can’t make money on Uber rides,” says Kanaris.

It also notes that the exchange runs the risk of licensees resigning if they are not given the opportunity to resume driving assignments.

– What we have done is to arrange for the licensee to record all business volume in taximeters as required by regulation, and for the correct taxes and fees to be reported. If we didn’t, it would add to tax evasion. At the same time, we collect data on how Uber operates, such as what licensees are paid. The lowest I’ve seen Uber pay is 67 kroner at 3 o’clock Sunday night, after Uber has withdrawn its 25 percent. It is a trip that would probably have had a minimum price of 160 crowns in Oslo Taxi, and 197 with us.

Kanaris notes that if you enter a toll pass, operating costs, and VAT on that invoice, there will be very little left for the driver.

– Why do drivers want to take the trips if there is so little money on them?

– They have no money. 67 crowns is, after all, more than 0.