Young, often drunk walkers on shared scooters create dangerous situations at the taxi rank on the Prinsenkade in Breda. There are dozens of rental scooters in that street, which are thrown criss-cross between the taxis. “We are waiting for a serious accident,” says a taxi driver.
“The scooters drive straight through the queue of waiting taxis onto the road. Last weekend one already hit a taxi. Fortunately, except for some damage, it turned out well. But we have to wait for a serious accident,” says taxi driver Dogan Sari. “The taxi rank is often already chaotic at the weekend and that has only gotten worse with the arrival of the shared scooters.”
Tim van Waes, director of taxi and driver company WVM, points to the sidewalk right next to the taxi rank and heaves a deep sigh. “It is retarded that all those scooters are here. The municipality of Breda simply facilitates drunk people to go home by scooter instead of a taxi.”
Those are heavy words, but the location of the pick-up point for shared scooters in Breda’s city center is remarkable to say the least. It is really right next to the taxi rank and that creates dangerous situations.
“People opt for the shared scooter at the last minute, when they actually came for a taxi,” says Tim van Waes. “We hear and see that. And the municipality of Breda gives them that choice. Irresponsible, because almost all of those people are drunk and didn’t want to take a taxi for nothing.”
Dogan Sari adds: “The scooter riders swing between the taxis to get onto the road. They don’t look to the left or right. If someone opens the door of the taxi, it can already be a hit. But certainly if they suddenly leave the road. hurry up where cars are going fifty or sixty kilometers an hour, you have a big problem.”
“For us it is really about safety, because I don’t actually see the shared scooter as competition”, Van Waes wants to say. “But maybe it is, if you organize it this way. Drunk people are faced with a choice: a taxi for twenty euros or a shared scooter for three euros. If you’re drunk, you don’t always make the right choice.”
The taxi drivers say that they have raised the problem with the municipality several times. “We have expressed our concern, but they are not doing anything about it,” says taxi driver Sari, who also offers the solution. “It’s simple. Put the shared scooters on the Kasteelplein, there they won’t stand in anyone’s way.
“There is going to be another serious accident here,” Van Waes concludes. “And I think the municipality is responsible for that.”
The municipality of Breda does not agree with the taxi drivers and speaks of limited nuisance. In a written response, Breda states, among other things:
(…) The taxi industry has been reporting nuisance due to shared scooters at the taxi rank for some time now. (…) At the request of the municipality, the provider of shared scooters reduced the permitted parking zone weeks ago. Because complaints continue to come, new consultations are planned between the parties involved.