Currently, the minimum price is set at 8 euros on the Uber platform.
Will the price of VTC races increase? This is one of the issues hotly debated during the discussions between the ride-hailing platforms such as Heetch, Freenow, Uber or Bolt and the representatives of the drivers. The exchanges began on October 18 and meetings between the two parties are to be held every three weeks. This social dialogue is desired by the government and organized by the Employment Platforms Social Relations Authority (ARPE), following the first professional elections for platform workers which were held in the spring.
Several demands, made by the representatives of the drivers, animate these exchanges. First, the remuneration with the establishment of a minimum price for a race. “ We aim for 10 euros net », affirms Yassine Bensaci, vice-president of the Association of VTC of France (AVF), by specifying that this notion of « minimum stroke must be precisely defined “. Currently, the minimum price is set at 8 euros on the Uber platform, but each company has its own policy. By way of comparison, the minimum fare for a taxi ride today is 7.30 euros.
Another claim made by the Association of VTC de France (AVF), a minimum hourly rate. “ If the driver accepts the trips offered to him and he does not reach this rate, it would then be up to the application to complete. To calculate it, it should be based on the cost price, taking into account variable costs such as fuel but also fixed costs such as insurance. A cost to which a margin should be added to reach a break-even point for the driver “, explains Yassine Bensaci, specifying that this hourly rate should be revisable each year to take account of inflation.
purchasing power
For their part, the applications seem open to dialogue but remain cautious about the content of the negotiations. “We want each platform to increase its prices. But if we increase too much, we will find ourselves in a context where we are no longer competitivecompared to taxis, explained Hugues Le Chevallier, general manager of Heetch France to the Parisian.
A story relatively similar to that carried by Clément Beaune, Minister of Transport, guest on BFM who showed himself “ favorable to social negotiations which result in improving the purchasing power of drivers “. “ I think they deserve this protection “. However, according to him, an excessive increase in the prices of VTC races would not be “not in the interest of the sector“. “Protecting the drivers is very good, but if there is no one left to pay for the races, they will have no more income“, did he declare.
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This desire to maintain a certain attractiveness in terms of price, in the face of competition from taxis, does not seem to convince the vice-president of AVF: “ Initially, the service offered by VTCs was a top-of-the-range service. It was the apps that decided that our fares should be cheaper than taxis, but we’re not doomed to let that remain the case. The next meeting between the two parties will be held on November 8.
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