Tag Archive for: mobility

eCabs joins EU-wide Taxis 4 Smart Mobility coalition

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Pictured: eCabs Technologies’ CEO, Matthew Bezzina (left), and Director of Marketing, Erik Polus.

The group is the leading voice for a sustainable European taxi industry

eCabs Malta has announced it has become a member of the Taxis 4 Smart Mobility coalition, a network of innovative and socially responsible taxi organisations.

T4SM represents the European taxi industry, advocating for sustainable, smart mobility solutions while ensuring local and national regulations reflect the unique needs of communities—whether in small villages or large cities. With members from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, the coalition brings thorough insight into the continent’s taxi sector.

eCabs Founder Matthew Bezzina said he was excited to join a group that is made up of some of the leading operators in Europe to lobby for a more sustainable industry.   

“Joining Taxis 4 Smart Mobility is a natural next step for eCabs, aligning perfectly with our vision for a future where mobility is seamless, sustainable, and technology-driven,” Bezzina said.

“We are committed to playing our part in fostering a smart mobility ecosystem that not only meets the needs of riders and drivers but also contributes positively to the environment and communities in which we operate. That’s because we truly believe that this industry can be a major part of the solution,” he added. 

Coalition Chairperson Gregor Beiner said eCabs was a welcome addition to the Taxis 4 Smart Mobility group. 

“eCabs Malta brings another important and dynamic perspective to the coalition with its innovative approach to smart mobility and deep-rooted commitment to sustainability. We are delighted that they are joining T4SM. We will continue to work together on a sustainable and stable mobility offer for Europe and have gained another important partner in eCabs Malta,” Beiner said.

Bezzina and eCabs Director of Marketing, Erik Polus, will attend the coalition’s upcoming meeting in November, shortly after the European Commission hearings are held in Brussels.

This meeting will discuss how the taxi sector can further contribute to the European Green Deal and the ambitious targets set for reducing carbon emissions by 2030.

The Taxis 4 Smart Mobility coalition’s mission is to ensure that the taxi industry leads by example in sustainable urban transport, contributing to the reduction of emissions and traffic congestion, and enhancing accessibility for all.

Through lobbying efforts and collaboration with policymakers, the coalition pushes for more supportive regulatory frameworks and investment in technologies that can transform the industry.

The eCabs announcement comes after Bezzina was among the international speakers at Europe’s leading taxi and transport conference earlier this year.

The European Radio Taxi Association conference brings together prominent figures from the taxi and transport industry across Europe, providing a platform for sharing insights, discussing challenges, and exploring the future of urban mobility.

Speaking during the ERTA conference, held in Düzce, Turkey, Bezzina recalled the eCabs journey over the years.

As a bootstrapped start-up successfully competing with global brands across several EU markets, eCabs has transitioned from a small traditional taxi operator to an app developer empowering fellow operators across Europe to successfully compete against global ride-hailing brands like Bolt and Uber. 

eCabs Technologies, the tech arm of the group, is responsible for developing the proprietary technology that powers the eCabs platform in Malta as well as other ride-hailing operations across Europe. 

New ride-hailing ventures in Bucharest, Romania, and Athens, Greece were launched earlier this year, with projects in other jurisdictions set to launch in the coming months. 

Meanwhile, with his extensive background in marketing and growth, having previously been engaged at Beat (part of FreeNow), Erik Polus said eCabs Technologies is on a mission to empower the taxi industry to successfully compete in the digital age.

“eCabs Technologies has a scalable and competitive ride-hailing tech offering, including rider and driver apps, and a suite of tools for operators, fleet owners, and company managers,” he said.

“We can safely say our solution is proven to be scalable and competitive as we use our tech stack every day to run our business in Malta, a business which includes one of the largest owned and operated fleets in the country, as well as thousands of partner drivers, and a 24/7 call and booking centre.”

“We have built the tools and developed the industry knowledge to partner with businesses that are seeking to not only survive but to thrive against ride-hailing giants,” he said. 

In the Press: Times of Malta | Malta Today | The Malta Independent

 

The innovator’s dilemma: Legacy taxi operators vs Uber

The innovator’s dilemma: Legacy taxi operators vs Uber

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The last of the taxi roof lights are flickering out, and their once-buzzing dispatchers’ radios are falling silent. Across Europe and beyond, long-standing legacy taxi operations face a formidable challenger: ride-hailing applications like Bolt and Uber are sweeping through every market, in every jurisdiction, gobbling up riders and drivers alike.

Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, legacy taxi businesses do not face an uncertain future. They face a clear and inevitable reality: ride-hailing is here to stay. The critical question as the rides industry continues to grow year-on-year is not if traditional taxi businesses will survive but who will take the largest slice of the pie: disruptors or traditional operators?

The dangers of complacency

Fifteen years ago, eCabs was born as a traditional dial-a-cab business. Like most legacy taxi businesses, we manually registered bookings and dispatched rides from our bookings office. I remember those days—passengers queuing outside our dispatch centre after a night out, drivers waiting idly for their turn to be called on the tannoy.

However, we founded eCabs with the intent to digitize our rides service. We built our own digital platform, on bare metal infrastructure, with all the complications that come with it. We’ve experienced the tricky transition from one system to another—patches upon patches, and late-night scrambling to get back online. All the while, we were competing against the largest ride-hailing platform in the region, Bolt.

Over the years, I’ve learned that disruption can come in pitter-patter, showers, or torrential downpours. In Malta, it was a deluge. After Bolt, came Uber. Today, eCabs is the only locally grown ride-hailing operation in its home market, with other businesses in different jurisdictions running on our platform. This success stems from our continuous investment in our digital offering, from partnering with global leaders like the Google Maps Mobility Platform to headhunting talent from leading ride-hailing tech players.

Facing the real threat

What we’ve learned is that the greatest threat traditional taxi businesses face today isn’t innovation and disruption; it’s the temptation to ignore transformative change. The danger is in burying heads in the sand, hoping ride-hailing tech will simply go away. Take it from me—it won’t. These giants are coming for the traditional taxi businesses, and the answer isn’t in ignoring the change but embracing it.

Legacy operators must become disruptors themselves if they want to survive. Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen introduced the concept of the Innovator’s Dilemma in 1997, explaining how established companies often focus on sustaining innovations—incremental improvements to existing products—at the expense of recognizing disruptive innovations on the horizon. These major changes may initially serve niche markets, but they have the power to redefine entire industries.

For legacy taxi businesses, the disruption came in the form of ride-hailing apps. Ignoring these innovations is a recipe for obsolescence. As Uber’s own CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said nearly seven years ago: “If you don’t disrupt yourself, someone else will.”

How to fight back

Digital transformation isn’t a button you press; it’s a process. What eCabs has developed isn’t just a white-label patch for legacy businesses trying to add a digital component to their service. We’ve packed 15 years of hands-on industry expertise into a platform built from real-world experience—competing against global ride-hailing giants, managing fleets, developing data-driven rider marketing campaigns, and educating policymakers.

This isn’t a first aid kit for traditional businesses; it’s a journey for operators who want to become regional leaders in mobility. Because make no mistake, global ride-hailing platforms aren’t coming for a piece of the pie—they want the entire thing.

By Matthew Bezzina, eCabs Technologies CEO

Matthew Bezzina will be a key speaker at the upcoming Start-Up Festival in Malta. The festival brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and enthusiasts to explore cutting-edge technologies, disruptive business models, and groundbreaking solutions. A highlight is the “Dream Big Malta” panel, celebrating the achievements of individuals from Malta excelling in international business, professions, or sports.

The original article may be found here.

To sell or not to sell – that is the question

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 eCabs Technologies’ commitment to a solution-oriented sales approach has been one of the driving forces behind its success. 

eCabs Technologies: A product-oriented approach to success

The ride-hailing industry is a crowded space, filled with giants vying for your attention.

At eCabs Technologies , we understand that simply offering another product isn’t enough.

We are not just here to sell you software. We’re here to work with you, and provide you with our market-leading solution born from our cutting-edge ‘mobility laboratory‘.

But what truly sets us apart?

We don’t just sell, we partner. Instead of bombarding you with generic sales pitches, we take a solution-oriented approach.

This means we dive deep into your specific needs and challenges.

We become an extension of your team, understanding your business from the inside out.

Embracing a solution-oriented mindset

Our cutting-edge mobility laboratory isn’t just a fancy term. It’s a hub of innovation where we continuously refine and perfect our platform to stay ahead of the curve.

This ensures that when you partner with eCabs Technologies, you’re not just getting a solution. You’re getting a platform built for the future, playbooks on how to operate your business, alongside our 14 years of operational experience.

We’re perfectly attuned to the dynamic needs of the ride-hailing market.

But here’s the best part: we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We have designed our platform to be customisable, allowing us to seamlessly adapt it to your unique business goals and challenges.

Your success is our success. And we’re committed to providing you with the tools and support you need to thrive in the ever-evolving ride-hailing landscape.

Beyond structured meetings: building genuine connections 

We understand that building genuine relationships goes beyond formal sales meetings. 

We actively seek out opportunities to engage with potential clients in informal settings, fostering a sense of connection and trust. 

While we are based in Malta, which has become a proven testbed for mobility products, our city partners are based in mainland Europe.

For us this means that we’re constantly educating, advocating and championing mobility through digital channels.

Nurturing genuine relationships, through channels such as LinkedIn, is critical in ensuring that we can continuously share our findings and learnings in the mobility industry and guide potential city partners to the right solution.

Delving into the client’s world 

eCabs Technologies goes beyond superficial understanding; we strive to gain a deep appreciation of our partners’ businesses. 

Proper exploration, and applying the appropriate framework is imperative, to ensure that we can accurately map out your requirements and align them to our solutions.

Additionally, studying our partners’ operations, understanding their unique context, and being able empathise with the challenges they face. 

By becoming intimately acquainted with our City Partners’ business through on-site visits, we can tailor solutions that are truly aligned with their goals and objectives. 

The power of knowledge transfer 

We recognise the value of education and knowledge sharing in building trust and establishing credibility. 

We actively educate potential clients about the ride-hailing industry, highlighting industry trends, best practices, and the latest technology advancements.

When we launch in a city, we share a refined launch ‘Playbook’ with our City Partners, to ensure a successful launch from the get-go.

Our knowledge transfer goes beyond the ride-hailing platform and the operations.

The eCabs Technologies Expansion Team will guide you weekly on the industry fundamentals, and emerging trends, and take on product feedback. In the background, we continue iterating on our products to ensure that our partners can stay ahead of the curve in any city that they choose to operate in.

This comes from our over 14 years of experience, from operations through to software development.

By equipping you with the knowledge and insights to make industry-informed business decisions, we go beyond offering software.

eCabs Technologies, as your partner in innovation, leverages our cutting-edge ‘mobility laboratory’ to tailor solutions that empower your success.

We believe in your journey to success, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

The proof of our expertise 

eCabs Technologies’ success is not just talk. It is backed by our partners and case studies. These demonstrate the tangible impact of our software platform on client businesses. 

From enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction to driving profitability and expanding market reach, the features within eCabs’ ride-hailing solution have proven their value across a diverse range of industries and clients – enabling a ride-hailing operator to take on more than just dial-a-cab bookings.

In addition to our commitment to your success with eCabs, our ride-hailing solution is a scalable and adaptable platform without upfront software costs.

Case study: eCabs Technologies and Malta’s taxi industry 

In Malta, eCabs has played a pivotal role in transforming the taxi industry since 2010. 

By understanding the specific needs of local taxi drivers and operators, and taking on national stakeholder feedback, it developed a software platform that streamlined operations, enhanced customer satisfaction, and boosted profitability across the board. 

This success has earned eCabs Technologies a reputation as a trusted partner in Malta’s ride-hailing landscape. 

Our solution-oriented approach has proven to be a winning formula. Enabling our City Partners to build strong partnerships within their local communities and the European Union.

By prioritising understanding, knowledge transfer, and genuine connection, eCabs Technologies has established itself as a trusted advisor and a true solutions provider for the ride-hailing industry. 

Together, let’s not only shape the future of ride-hailing but also a sustainable future. eCabs Technologies is here to walk the talk and partner with you on your journey forward.