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TAXI APP HAILO is set to be rebranded and merged with Mytaxi, a taxi app owned by German car giant Daimler.
Under the deal Daimler, which owns several major car brands including Mercedes-Benz, will take a 60% stake in Hailo. Hailo’s shareholders will hold the remaining 40%.
Mytaxi and Hailo are now set to merge, with Hailo rebranding as Mytaxi. Hailo chief executive Andrew Pinnington will lead the newly formed company.
The firm will be headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Financial terms of the deal, which will create Europe’s biggest smartphone-based cab-hailing business were not disclosed.
Hailo confirmed in a statement that the newly formed company will operate under the Mytaxi brand.
No sudden changes
Hailo Ireland general manager Tim Arnold told Fora that the deal is “good news for Hailo”.
“Now Hailo customers will be able to use the same app more widely than before in nine different countries,” he said.
We will put the best features of both sets of apps into one. For example we do things like airport service better than Mytaxi.
“There will be no immediate changes for passengers or drivers, over the coming months we will communicate how the migration will happen. It will probably be the end of the year when it starts.”
The merger between the two brands will create a larger firm to try and take on Uber, the world’s most valuable taxi-hailing app.
Although it has performed strongly in Ireland, partly because Uber has been hamstrung by regulations here, Hailo has struggled against its rival in many other markets. The London-based firm recorded a £22 million (€26 million) loss after trying to break into North America.
Arnold said that the company had not intended to be profitable yet as it has focused on investing in growing the business and its market share.
“The finances of the company have become much better over the last 18 months and (the merger) will make a very strong force to compete with international competition,” he said.
More investment
Daimler Financial Services chairman Klaus Entenmann said that the merger of the two brands “is another strategic step in making us a leader of mobility solutions and platforms”.
This investment is in addition to the nearly €500 million we’ve already invested in building mobility platforms and services over the last years. We are prepared to make further strategic investments as we continuously build our mobility ecosystem,” he said.
Hailo, which launched in Ireland in April 2012, said that all of its operations in UK, Ireland, and Spain will be rebranded by the middle of 2017.
The new company will have 100,000 registered taxi drivers in over 50 cities across nine countries in Europe.
Hailo operates in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, while Mytaxi is available in Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Several high-profile business figures, including entrepreneur Richard Branson, have invested in the company.
The merger is subject to the approval of the European Regulatory Authorities. A decision is expected in the next few weeks.
Written by Paul O’Donoghue and posted on Fora.ie
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Hailo is a better name, but mytaxi more international I suppose
Internationalism or globalism to be more correct, will have each and every country trying to look act and talk like America, I see they’re already trying to ape the yellow taxi like in New York. It is the same reason why some people support multiculturalism, to feel as powerful as the powerful centre they worship and look to – America.
Steveno they’re not even called Taxis in America, they’re called cabs.
@Neal Ireland Hello: Stop confusing poor Stephen with facts, don’t you know that alt-right trolls are allergic to facts
Don’t get it… Why keep the weaker brand, they spent a fortune marketing and promoting Hailo. Does it not translate well internationally?
Hailo is in 3 countries , mytaxi is in 7. I prefer the name hailo myself , but I can’t handle change and would love a marathon bar or some Opel fruits right now
The old names on the brands were better .. the newer names just don’t sound right !
Be sorry to see the Hailo brand die off. Mytaxi doesn’t have the same ring to it at all.
Perhaps if they own mercedes too. They might do a deal for the taxi drivers who sign up. We could be all getting comfort journeys..
Surely the benefits of hailo outway the costs to the taxi driver. Didn’t they have to pay radio charges back in the day.
Hailo isn’t free you know.. They take 12% of all the work they give you. Now with a takeover those costs will only go up..
I don’t use taxis if at all possible, way too expensive.
Lazlo….maybe your too poor
Nope, not poor, just not willing to pay silly money for a basic service
Lazlo….basic service?? Taxis are the only 24/7/365 public transport option where YOU can choose the day/time and place of pick up. Where YOU can choose type of vehicle ie saloon, mpv or wheelchair. Where YOU can choose paymet method ie cash, card or corporate a/c. Where YOU can choose the route taken. If thats a basic service then please tell me what other service equals or exceeds it. You can also order Hailo+ which is a higher standard if taxi.
That’s funny Fred, all that you just said and then the Hailo+ bit. When will there be Hailo+S and Hailo Platinum. Will we be able to pay monthly direct debit so that I don’t even have to pay at the time when I do need a taxi. How about Hailo +++ for those who want to go from Dublin Airport to Swords, that’s worth paying a premium for. Or Hailo — where the taxi driver keeps his racist commentary to himself. Or Hailo Copper, where they send around an S Class Merc to pick you up from Coppers so you can impress the bouncers.
Lazlo…..you still didn’t give me an example of public transport that equals or exceeds taxis????
The Commission is 12% on hailo
So what? Taxi driver told me it’s 10%. Someone on here says it’s 15%.
Nothing is free.
I’ve heard more people moan about hailo than actually boast about there service…….in my experience they are a load of shite.
Why?
I think Hailo is great. No need for cash, simple APP to use, can see where your car is on a map and you get a receipt emailed to you which is great if you need to claim the fare. The only issue is that taxi drivers prefer not to use it when they can pick up a fare on the street.
PMG….seriously??? A hailo cab is booked every 10 seconds in Ireland! Maybe you need to find more intelligent people to hang out with.
@Fred Coloe: The issue I have with Hailo, is that you book a taxi, then check five minutes later only to find out the driver has cancelled without reason, I have a lot of positive experience with Hailo, but a lot of negative ones too, I say, it is a convenient app, but it’s not the bee’s knees
Stopped using hailo a while ago. I used it for years, thought it was great….but, one night my phone battery had died so I got a taxi home off a rank. It was almost €5 cheaper than the usual hailo fare (€17 vs €21-€22). I’ve stuck with rank taxis ever since…
As in taxis off a taxi rank, not stinkin’ durty taxis…
Tomas….street car €5 cheaper?
Yes. €5 cheaper. That ok?
No doubt Dublin Airport pickup will still be rubbish!
A possible plus to this merger is that Mercedes might offer drivers an option to purchase Mercedes cars at a discount just like they offer German taxi drivers.
But I think replacement parts for Mercs cost more, not sure how many would use that option if so. Really preferred the Hailo name too, you would think they could trade as Hailo here.
Same old same old!
Same old what?
The customer will pay for this merger !
Martin
How do you work that our when taxi fares are regulated?
Well done guys. Nice to see another Irish success story.
Irish?
I hope Uber wins their case in the European Court of Justice. While taxi drivers fear their jobs this can’t be the cost of progress. Hailo is great but not nearly as good as a full Uber service which has huge potential to declog Dublin’s streets. Don’t buy the crime argument either. I’ve had some bad taxis most were very genuine but it will be the same with either. Uber needs proper vetting by Gardai and possibly an addition to the regular driving test and agreement of the insurance companies for commercial use. All these together will offer a compelling reason not to own a car in Dublin. Car ownership is destroying the city. Yes we have to be sensitive to job losses but no different to video stores going redundant or the blacksmith when horses were no longer required. We no longer require drivers to know every street and byroad anymore.
i never use hail changing its name is not going to do anything wher i live we have a good taxi company braken cabs i have used them a few times and they come on time they have been in balbriggan for years and there the olderst cab company in north dublin and the good thing its a walk in base as well
Mytaxi is bit better anyway. So there
Uber…
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