It seems that the business model of 21st century (unlimited amount of Uber car rides) versus the 20th century (limited number of licensed taxi rides) is increasing in Brussels.
The trade-off has been tax revenue vs regulation of the market and a kind of protection of the sector. It hasn't stopped the private cars from offering rock-bottom prices to stranded Thalys customers at Brussels south to Paris, or other unregulated practices .
Now comes a new type of busines model taking advantage of improving the inbalance between offer and demand. Looks quite easy no, if taxis with a Brussels region license are allowed to drop of customers at Brussels airport, but not allowed to take new customers because of limited Zaventem licenses. The middlemen (central phone dispatch) is replaced by a matching service, and is more efficient. It is a business model that brings more value to the end customer, really moving the taxi experience to the 21st information area. Uber is not in se playing on the price (with yield management it can become more expensie), but it is just a fact that the taxi economic logic to create a separate entity (and even separate cars in London), thanks to smartphones, connectivity, GPS has become a commodity. We'll need to maybe think about an intelligent virus scanner for uber scams, but this can probably be automated with open data links to the soon to be opened Federal Ministry of Mobility.
In the19th century, there were lamplighters, the first connectivity lamp with electricity gradually removed this job, with the last one in 1957. Electricity was the first network of the 20th century. Uberpresent internet in the 21st century is opening a new era as well.
Brusselsnieuws (Dutch)
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