Taxis have spoken in recent years and according to recent surveys trust in traditional taxi traffic has collapsed. Having closely followed the development of the field, I can say that the confusion in the field seems to be growing day by day. I made a small taxi comparison, where I go over the general operation of the industry and how our operation differs from the traditional one, and on the other hand, what similarities our operations have.
Permission and legislative matters
Let's start with the similarities. Carrying out passenger transport in Finland is a licensed business. This means that every entrepreneur must have a taxi license issued by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. We also operate under taxi licenses and our vehicles are registered for professional use. Our cars have taxi meters in accordance with the EU measuring device directive, through which the information about the rides taken is automatically sent to the tax authorities.
Differences in operating methods
How does a traditional taxi service work?
As a rule, taxi drivers are entrepreneurs with one or a few cars and they belong to order brokerage centers operating with the franchise method, which provide them with rides. In large forwarding centers, the sharing of rides is usually implemented through a queuing system, so that either at the taxi station or in a pre-defined area, the person who has waited the longest for a ride is sent to take care of your transportation. The model has its pros and cons, on the one hand it is fair to motorists, but your freedom of choice suffers.
How does our operation differ from the usual?
Our business revolves around a few cars, so we practically only operate through pre-orders. Transport capacity is the absolute weakness of our service. In our case, I would rather talk about a charter service than a taxi service, even though we are a taxi operator according to the law.
To whom?
Most of our customers consist of those who travel on their work trips and those who want to make sure of proper transportation. About 90% of our transports go to the capital region, most of them to the airport. Our service works in both directions, that is, if you know the time of the return transport in advance, we will also pick you up from the capital region back home if you wish.
Fleet
Nowadays, you can see a variety of vehicles in taxis, and electric cars are becoming more common at a fast pace. When acquiring equipment, we started thinking about where we would like to travel. Spaces were selected as the primary vehicles black executive class cars, in which special efforts have been made for travel comfort and to safety. The cars are designed with rear passengers in mind, there are comfort seats in the back that can be adjusted according to your preferences.
About pricing
When ordering through our order platform, you always get your delivery fixed price. One advantage of fixed pricing is its ease, when you always know in advance what the transport will cost. Our fixed price includes 10 minutes of free waiting at the departure address. We wait at the airport for free 60 minutes after the flight's landing time, so you don't have to rush with your luggage. Our purpose is not to compete on price, but to offer a good price-quality ratio and a flexible service within our capacity.
The pros and cons
The pros and cons of a traditional taxi service
Our pros and cons
Taxi comparison summary
Whereas larger operators focus on the volume of transported customers, we are forced to focus on a more individualized service. In summary, however, it can be stated that both have their place and traditional taxi services are a convenient alternative for quick express departures. On the other hand, if you know your transportation needs in advance and want to make sure that your trip runs smoothly, our service offers better starting points for your trip.