The recent emergence of new independent ride-hailing apps to try to circumvent the power of the sector’s giants and raise the remuneration of drivers has entered the radar of former President Lula, who last week showed signs of interest in the subject on social networks.
The presidential candidate made a publication attributing to the mayor of Araraquara (SP), also from PT Edinho Silva, the credits for creating a ride-hailing app that guarantees a greater transfer to drivers in the municipality.
“In Araraquara, Mayor Edinho Silva made an application for drivers to work in cooperatives, earning 90% in each race and not giving 25%, 50% to the platform”, Lula wrote on the internet.
The ex-president’s speech had repercussions in the private sector, which monitors the growth of this competition in the market concentrated by large companies. But the executives mocked Lula’s imprecision, because the initiative did not come exactly from the city hall.
The platform, called Bibi Mob, already existed and was acquired by the local cooperative of drivers, Coomappa, according to the president of the group, Kátia Anello.
“The money for the acquisition of the application came from the cooperative. We apportioned, made crowdfunding, added monthly fees. Mayor Edinho has been quite a partner, helped in other ways, but the acquisition was made by the cooperative”, he says.
Anello says that the city hall provided the internet and the equipment with the technology needed to maintain the application, launched in January, in addition to helping to publicize the initiative.
Drivers keep 95% of the fare.
The acquisition of a non-profit app was one of the initial goals of the cooperative, which was formed in March of last year. According to Anello, the group also tried to seek partnerships with the municipality to carry out the project, but the process would take time due to bureaucratic issues.
Sought by the SA Panel, the city government did not respond.
Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Ana Paula Branco
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