Hopp begins “onboarding” new private hire drivers for London

Uber’s biggest European competitors Hopp, also known as Taxify outside of the UK, has begun taking on London drivers. The rebranded minicab firm is hoping the name change will help them meet the requirements set in the capital. According to sources last month Hopp have applied for an operators licence in London. The “onboarding” firm are looking for private hire drivers to join the platform before 15th January to receive an introductory 7.5% commission rate for the first two months. The onboarding sessions are due to take place at Heathrow When asked about their London licence a TfL spokesperson told TaxiPoint: “We do not comment on individual licence applications.” Taxify originally launched its service in September 2017, but was forced to shut down just four days later as details of its licence emerged. The European company took the unusual steps of buying a small local minicab firm, instead of applying for a licence themselves. In December 2017 Taxify were fined £250 plus £10,000 legal fees for trying to enter the London market via the backdoor. Taxify admitted to a “major error of judgment” and has since employed former Gett Chief Marketing Officer Rich Pleeth to help win approval from regulators Transport for London for a new licence. Founded by Markus Villig, Taxify, now known as Hopp in the UK, launched in 2013. They claim to be one of the fastest-growing ride-hailing platforms in Europe and Africa with investors including Daimler, Didi Chuxing, Korelya Capital and TransferWise co-founder Taavet Hinrikus. The ride-hailing company claims to have more than 10 million users in more than 25 countries globally.