Amsterdam taxi drivers launch app to rival Uber

Amsterdam taxi drivers have launched a new app called NLCabs to compete with Uber, addressing disputes over employee status, wages, and workers' rights. The app, created by driver Mostapha Ahidar and co-founder Ivo van Leeuwen, has already signed up nearly 1,300 drivers. NLCabs operates similarly to Uber, allowing passengers to order rides through the app and nearby drivers to pick them up.

However, NLCabs charges a 3% commission from drivers, which the founders claim is sufficient to keep the platform running. This is in contrast to Uber's commission, which can be up to half the fare, a practice drivers claim is not transparent. The launch of NLCabs follows years of conflict between Uber and Dutch drivers, including a recent fine from the Dutch data protection authority of €825 million for deactivating drivers' accounts without proper review.

The conflict stems from years of disputes over Uber's treatment of drivers, with an Amsterdam appeal court recently ruling that Uber drivers cannot all be considered employees. Currently, NLCabs has only a few hundred downloads on Google Play, and the founders acknowledge that changing a habit as ingrained as using Uber will be challenging. They plan to expand NLCabs across the Netherlands.