A cab for Brussels The taxi as part of a metropolitan mobility plan Pascal Smet Brussels Minister fo

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A cab for Brussels The taxi as part of a
metropolitan mobility planPascal SmetBrussels
Minister for Mobility Presentation Saturday
June 2, 2007 - Vienna
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A cab for Brussels
Introduction

• Belgium is a federal state with three Regions
  (Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital
  Region)
• Mobility and taxis are regional matters
• For the taxis, the Brussels-Capital Region is the
  regulatory and licence granting authority

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A cab for Brussels
View on the mobility problems of a large city

• Reducing private cars within the inner limits of
  the city for the benefit of the environment and
  for viability reasons
• Offering alternatives in order to guarantee
  mobility within the city
• SolutionCombination of all alternatives (on
  foot, bicycle, public transport, taxi, car
  sharing,...)
• Intermodality conditions / how to trigger a
  change in mentality
• Legibility
• Efficient and fast

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A cab for Brussels
Intermodality benefits for the taxi sector

• Short term
• Better public knowledge / better image
• More rides
• Higher profitability
• Medium term
• Less traffic higher commercial speed for public
  transport and taxis
• Increased efficiency (more rides per shift)

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A cab for Brussels
Taxi plan Coherent approach

• Consultation with the sector
• Problems inventory
• Coherent approach
• Solutions to the problems
• Implementation of a new role
• Transparency
• Discussed with the sector
• Approved within the Government
• Submitted to the Parliament

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A cab for Brussels
Taxi plan most important measures

• The training for taxi drivers has been reformed
• Shorter waiting period
• More accurate content
• Administrative burdens have been reduced
• Less paperwork for operators and drivers
• Some adjustments can be made on-line
• Licences are now non-transferable
• Better control of new operators

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A cab for Brussels
Taxi plan most important measures (continuation)

• Visibility of the sector in the city
• Creating an identity
• Taxi stands
• Vehicles
• Increase of the profitability
• Higher commercial speed
• Fixed fare for the city
• To repress the short trip refusals
• To generate extra/new trips
• Shared taxis

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A cab for Brussels
Night network public transport and shared taxis

• Need for a network of public transport at night
•  Classic  night network or integration of the
  taxi sector?
• Option combination of public transport and
  shared taxis
• Organizational point of view
• Budgetary point of view
• Conforms with the view on intermodality

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A cab for Brussels
Night network public transport

• Organized by the STIB/MIVB (Brussels' public
  transport operator) according to an adapted
  scheme
• In force as of April 2007
• Limited in time (only Friday and Saturday between
  midnight and 0300 am)
• Limited in coverage

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A cab for Brussels
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A cab for Brussels
Night network shared taxis

• Shared taxis
• Flexibility
• Time-wise 24/7
• Coverage-wise the whole territory of the Region
• Possibility to extend the service up to
  employment areas located outside the Region's
  limits
• Creates an offer of public transport services on
  the Region's territory
• Increases the profitability of the taxi sector by
  attracting a new clientele

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A cab for Brussels
Shared taxis practical elaboration

• With the existing fleet
• Taxis affiliated to the telephone exchange for
  shared taxis can provide classic and shared
  rides
• Only one specific phone number
• DRS principle (Demand Responsive System)
• Intervention of the Region for the rides that
  are provided
• Driver paid according to taximeter
• Customer pays a fixed fare
• The Region pays the difference

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A cab for Brussels
Shared taxis Vs Classic taxis

• Safeguards in order to ensure that shared taxis
  and classic taxis don't become competitors
• Fixed starting points
• Terminal point within the regional limits and
  employment areas
• Ordering in advance
• Fixed departure time

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A cab for Brussels
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A cab for BrusselsThe taxi as part of a
metropolitan mobility planPascal SmetBrussels
Minister for Mobility Presentation Saturday
June 2, 2007 - Vienna