When I took the taxi last night after dinner in the completely new Harbor Club in The Hague, I immediately asked whether there is any movement in the market for the taxi drivers. Now that the catering industry is starting up again cautiously, you would expect that to be the case. The taxi driver indicated that he was happy with the ride but went home afterwards, because work could no longer be found in the night hours.

You may never have realized that one of the local entrepreneurs taxi company is in your town or city that has barely survived the past few months, and to this day. The appeal of a growing number of local initiatives with the hashtag #supportyourlocals certainly applies to taxi drivers. Turnover fell from one hundred to five percent. I even spoke to drivers who haven't seen a customer for days.

reset the platform economy

Forget the 'old' reality that we have to conform to. In the new 'normal' we leave the platform economy for what it is. When taking the next taxi we order from the local companies so that they do not have to leave many tens of percentages to listed companies such as Uber. Taxi companies should now have learned that they can build their own platform themselves and Uber does not help them in times of need.

Now that there are no foreign tourists, this is easy. Companies like Uber think they can continue as usual, where they left off. They pack it so beautifully in their latest service Uber Comfort. With Comfort you enjoy the service of experienced drivers and newer cars with extra legroom so you can relax while you travel.

"Actually they say here that all their drivers who drove for them before the corona crisis in a somewhat smaller car are now put aside and they only use drivers who can offer a somewhat larger car."

a touch of premium

With Uber Comfort, they give some extra time to get in if an unexpected delay occurs. Start your stress-free trip with 10 minutes of boarding time before you will be charged a cancellation fee.

“In fact, they mean here that all cars that are active on the Uber platform have the mandatory screen between the front and rear seats in the Netherlands as extra protection. You need the extra boarding time to get in quietly without hurting yourself at the safety screen. ”

affected entrepreneurs

Many small independent taxi entrepreneurs have had to use the Allowance for Entrepreneurs Affected Sectors COVID-19 (TOGS) in recent months. This helps entrepreneurs in sectors directly affected by the government's measures. Those who meet the conditions receive a one-off payment of 4.000 euros (tax-free). This amount is free to spend. The national government wants to use this gift to support entrepreneurs who are in dire need of the measures. 

TVL successor TOGS

The SME Allowance Allowance (TVL) is intended for SMEs with a maximum of 250 employees who have lost more than 30% of their turnover during the corona crisis. Companies that meet the conditions can receive a contribution of up to 50.000 euros per 4 months in order to be able to continue to pay fixed costs (excluding wage costs).

Companies in sectors eligible for the TOGS will soon be able to use the TVL. About 1,4 billion euros has been earmarked for the scheme.
Applications can be submitted to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency from mid-June 2020. The exact date will be announced. Even if you have already used the TOGS, you can still use the TVL.

The TVL compensation is for the period from 1 June to 30 September 2020 and is in addition to the TOGS contribution. The TOGS runs from March 15 to June 15, 2020 and can be applied for until June 26, 2020. The application periods of the 2 schemes therefore partly overlap.

Also read: Many taxi drivers no longer see a future in the sector