Moto taxi services
Presentation
Moto with a driver services, commonly called by the public "moto taxi", have motorcycles of two or three wheels that can only carry one passenger.
The moto-taxi services in France are especially present in large cities. They were created to transport passengers in a rush in large cities (such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille) often filled with traffic jams, especially during rush hour.
The benefits :
- Effectively avoid traffic jams
- Punctuality
- Speed
- Pleasant view
Safety
The Profession
This profession was not regulated until 2010 due to a gap in the law.
This regulation came out the 22nd July 2009, and its decrees. A license is not required to exercise this profession however the driver has to hold a "category A" French driving license, a professional card provided by the Prefect, as well as making sure the driver have not been condemned by traffic rules infringements or for robbery, fraud, breach of trust, sexual assault...
The vehicle must be less than four years old. In addition the moto taxi must be able to show anyone, particularly the police authorities, a yearly maintenance certification provided by a professional. A car registration sticker must however be affixed to the vehicle in order to allow the relevant authorities to conduct checks.
The moto taxi drivers must be able to show at least 5 years of moto driving experience, in addition to affixing a descriptive of their activity on their vehicle.
The moto taxi company must of course detain an appropriate insurrance.
Reservation and Price
The regulations require an advance booking by the client with the moto taxi company.
The exploitation of moto taxi services increases free market competition. Companies are therefore free to quote their services and prices as part of the reservation contract with the client.
There are
- By booking directly with a service provider or centre.
- By using the monTransport.com platform
Using monTransport.com gives the opportunity to compare prices between different service providers and to select the best one according to your needs.
The vehicle
The moto-taxi services mainly use Honda Goldwings, which is the top of the range for this category of vehicle. The passenger is therefore assured that they will have a pleasant and comfortable trip with their luggage.
Boarding the moto taxi is very easy, even for small size passengers. With a comfortable back cushion and easily accessible handlebars allowing total control on the moto taxi.
For the taxi-scooter, the providers generally use 650cm3, which is also the top of the range in that category.
Some companies even offer a moto-taxi service in a sidecar (1 passenger) or even in a tuk tuk (2 or 3 passengers) offering a unique view and sensation for sightseeing tours.
Most of the vehicles allow the clients to transport luggages, but please note that it is important to specify when making the reservation as the motorcycles have different sizes.
A little history
There is no doubt that the moto-taxi services are directly inspired by the famous Thai tuk tuk; a scooter with the front of a motorcycle carrying a covered car where the passenger can take place. In general the tuk tuk can carry 2 to 3 people at once. Seen in Africa and Asia, it is commonly used due to its low cost and low fuel consumption.
It has a small engine, compared with the large taxi moto used in France nowadays.
Even though they began to appear in Europe and the United States at the end of the 1980s, it was only in 2003 that moto-taxis services started to develop in France thanks to the apparition of companies in this field.
