Business – The National Assembly restricts the activity of motorcycle taxis –

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The National Assembly restricts the activity of motorcycle taxis

Business - The National Assembly restricts the activity of motorcycle taxis -

The deputies voted yesterday for a law governing motorcycle taxis, which are increasingly popular in large cities but can now only work on prior reservation: no more customers caught on the sly, such as car taxis…

City Bird, Motocab, Athenee Prestige, Easytrans, Motopolitain … The list would be long! Because despite the strong reluctance of "traditional" taxis and still very high prices, "motorbike passenger transport companies" (read) have been experiencing growing success since 2001 in large cities saturated with traffic jams..

There are thus nearly a hundred in France, more than half of which in the Paris region. Enough in any case for the government to decide to look into the issue as part of its project "Development and modernization of tourism services", to avoid "that a dramatic event strike this sector of activity".

Until now, "any driver of a motorbike or maxi-scooter could claim to be a motorbike taxi, with all the uncertainties and risks involved for the people transported", lamented yesterday in front of his colleagues Didier Gonzales, deputy (UMP) of Val-de-Marne (94), at the origin of the amendment aimed at regulating the activity of motorcycle taxis.

With the support of Herve Novelli, Secretary of State for Tourism responsible in particular for trade and SMEs, Mr. Gonzales clarified that "the system provides for the establishment of a flexible framework to allow the development of this new sector and the jobs that go with it, but it also includes a certain number of safety requirements, by obliging companies to offer adapted vehicles and qualified drivers".

Prior reservation required !

An implementing decree should soon specify the new rules of the game: "a minimum number of years of holding a motorcycle license, regular maintenance of machines, which will be renewed frequently, are some examples among others", already indicates Mr. Gonzales.

But the main point of the amendment is above all the principle of "prior reservation", which will"differentiate this sector from that of taxi craftsmen, who have different rights but who are subject to more onerous obligations", explains the deputy.

Motorcycle drivers would therefore no longer have the right, under penalty of one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros, to park or drive on public roads in search of customers without a proven prior reservation….

Gone is therefore the spontaneous decision to hail a motorcycle when getting off the plane or the train to save time: it will now be necessary to lock yourself in a taxi, a "real" with four wheels, to go to increase traffic jams like everyone else. … Unless of course you have reserved a motorbike before taking your plane or train !

The established motorcycle taxi companies seem rather favorable to this framework: insofar as most of the clients are businessmen and show biz personalities – who can count on their assistants to ensure the logistics – this prior reservation obligation should not be too prejudicial to them.

Thus Motocab, the French leader in the sector with its 50 motorcycles which already offers one, considers itself "in pole position"to benefit from this new law on motorbike transport with driver:"this new regulation rewards the efforts of Motocab undertaken with Didier Gonzales and representatives of the Ministry of the Interior", rejoices Philippe Herve, the president of the company held at 10% by Patrick Bruel, considering that"it is a real recognition of our know-how because it will make it possible to structure the profession by using our best practices: safety on board, punctuality and comfort of transfers".

Eric MICHEL

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