Open letter from Ken Livingstone to the taxi trade

Dear Sirs,

I have been using my experience and knowledge of London and its transport system to help launch a new “People’s App” called Maaxi which enables Londoners to share taxis. I support the principles that stand behind Maaxi, principles that have been developed in light of the revolution that smartphones have brought to our transport industry since I left the mayor’s office.

With the introduction of GPS-enabled iPhone and Android devices, easier transport planning and door-to-door transport booking have become more than a reality – they have attracted some of the biggest and most aggressive capitalists in the world including Google and Goldman Sachs.
 These new technologies should be used to improve Londoners’ daily lives by allowing them to book a taxi from the comfort of their homes or offices, increasing safety and giving more people access to taxis.
 Sadly the reality is that the technology is being used to hurt passengers by increasing prices via so-called “surging” or imposing minimum fares and hurting drivers by commoditising prices and taking large commissions from taxi fares. This is wrong since Londoners and its drivers deserve better. As you know, my successor has kow-towed to the new entrants.

Whilst competition has its place, there is no place for de-regulation by stealth which hits taxi drivers who have worked for years to acquire “The Knowledge”. This is where Maaxi can help. It benefits taxi drivers by charging no commissions on their normal fares and giving them the opportunity to increase their trade through shared taxi rides which have the potential to double, triple or even quadruple the taxi business in London and cut private vehicle traffic.

 This App will provide me with door-to-door transport at a fraction of the cost of a minicab, let alone a taxi, and only slightly more expense than travelling by public transport.

This is truly a “saving instead of surging” revolution, and will allow every Londoner to use black cabs. It is what technology should do for the world and I wholeheartedly support it. It will help London and I hope the taxi trade will promote Maaxi among Londoners and ensure that drivers stand behind a company that has created a “People’s App.” And in so doing stop Uber driving the black cab trade into extinction!

Sincerely,

Ken Livingstone