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French taxi company sets sight on Malta
French taxi company sets sight on Malta
French ride-hailing company Heetch has its sights set on Malta, with the mission of joining the local taxi industry.
Heetch is a start-up company, which is already in Belgium and France, as well as Morocco, Angola and Algeria and it is currently head-hunting a business development head for its operations in Malta.
The local taxi and cab market is full of ride-hailing applications, ranging from eCabs to Bolt, to Ryde to Hicabs, to Bonju to the Malta Taxi App, all of whom promise cheaper process and faster pick-up times.
The platforms have enabled great consumer response for those who use smartphones to call taxis, coupled with a large supply of drivers, to meet the overwhelming demand. The liberalisation of the taxi market was key to this development, having lifted the need to cars garaged under one company roof, and decoupling the driver from the company offering the ride-hailing app.
The European Commission wants to legalise a form of employment status for platform workers and give additional rights to those employed under algorithmic management, giving them the right to a minimum wage, working time and health protection, paid leave, protection against work accidents, sickness benefits, collective bargaining, unemployment benefits and contributory old-age pensions.
According to Maltese law, there is already a list of criteria concerning the legal status of self-employed workers. If five of the eight criteria are fulfilled, the self-employed worker must be reclassified as an employee within the company it provides services for.
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