Free Now to restructure as it plans to merge with French app Kapten:Fears for jobs as corporate restructuring in the works

The Free Now taxi ride-hailing service run by Daimler and BMW announced on Thursday a corporate restructuring, which could lead to job cuts, and unveiled plans to merge with French app Kapten.

The Free Now company said in a statement that its restructuring was aimed at reducing costs in order to offset the hits to its business caused by the coronavirus crisis, which has hurt transport companies around the world.

The Free Now and Kapten ride-hailing apps are among many relatively new companies that have been set up across the globe to take on the likes of main players such as Uber. 

Free Now, previously known as My Taxi, entered the market in 2016 when it merged with taxi-hailing app Hailo. 

Source : Reuters

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT :
As Taxi leaks predicted, going the same way as Hailo....these third party apps never learn.

This was the statement, put out by FreeNow earlier today.

WHAT THEY SAID ON TWITTER

“Freenow were keen to point out that their driver surveys and focus groups indicated support for the merger???? and suggested that I was living in the past by not recognising the benefits of taxis working on the same platform as minicabs, or 'licensed PHVs' as they refer to them”

Part of the letter sent to Steve Mac at the LTDA.

Where are the @FreeNow_UK drivers that filled out these driver surveys? 

Did they really opt for having PHV’s alongside taxis on the App?

I think this is total BS by @FreeNow_UK

Well, maybe @FreeNow_UK could divulge the results to these “surveys” you stated were carried out by the drivers on your App?

Congrats to @ZabrockiMariusz the former General Manager of MINICAB APP @kaptenuk on promotion to his new position as General Manager of TAXI APP @freenow_uk 


Hopefully Mariusz's door will be open to help taxi drivers become better minicab drivers.