FREENOW COO grilled by ‘Crazy Ginger Cabbie’ addressing taxi driver concerns head-on
A London taxi driver and stand-up comedian grilled FREENOW’s Chief Operating Officer on hot topics affecting cabbies on the popular taxi booking platform.
London’s black cab industry faces mounting challenges, and FREENOW, one of the leading industry apps, is directly engaging with drivers to address these issues.
In a sit down YouTube interview, Aaron Courtnell, also known as the ‘Crazy Ginger Cabbie’ on the comedy circuit, took on FREENOW COO, Aram Sargsyan, who responded to the concerns of black cab drivers in a frank conversation about app functionality, driver payments, commission rates, and the future of the industry.
Sargsyan, who has previously worked with Yandex Taxi across multiple countries, stressed his appreciation for the unique challenges of the London black cab trade. He compared the process of becoming a black cab driver to gaining a “PhD in taxi driving”, acknowledging the extensive commitment and knowledge required. Despite his global experience, Sargsyan admitted that the black cab system is one of the most demanding in the world.
Key issues discussed included the Knowledge of London, communication problems and the controversial topic of commission rates, which many drivers want reduced back to the original 10%.
One of the topics discussed was next-day payments, something taxi drivers have long asked for, and which will now be available from today.
FREENOW acknowledged the importance of building stronger ties with London’s black cab community throughout the interview. The next steps involve not just addressing pressing issues but also ensuring the long-term sustainability of the black cab trade in an increasingly competitive market.
