Où vont les taxis?

Everywhere in the world, the taxi is set to play a central role in the future of urban mobility. On the supply side, the revolution in practices brought about by the mobile phone and GPS still have a long way to go in terms of improvements in service and reductions in costs. On the demand side, demographic and lifestyle changes and environmental imperatives are beginning to create certain needs that the taxi is best able to meet at minimum cost. It is because they are an essential element in the range of mobility options, that taxis are found in all the world's cities. The surveys conducted by IVM in seven European cities and in New York show it: people take taxis by choice, but equally often by necessity. That is why in most European countries, the authorities subsidise taxi services for certain categories of the population, such as the elderly, the unemployed, etc. These forces that govern the role of the taxi and the demand for mobility apply everywhere, but the resistances they encounter differ from one city to the next. However, even in cities where existing positions seem most firmly entrenched, the attraction of these markets is such that new players are managing to infiltrate gaps in the system by means of innovation. IVM commissioned a survey with residents of New York and seven European capitals to find out how, how often and for what kinds of journeys the inhabitants of those cities use taxi services; and for those who do not use them, why they don't. An analysis of the survey findings shows to what extent the role of taxis in the mobility of city dwellers is governed by their city's taxi regulation policies.