The iconic taxi company V-Tax, which has been a fixture in Ghent for more than 75 years, has announced that it is permanently ceasing its activities and is filing for bankruptcy.
This news came to light during a special works council held last Tuesday. Both the liberal trade union ACLVB and the socialist BTB-ABVV confirm the closure of the company, which has played an important role in the city's mobility for years. An uncertain time is dawning for the almost one hundred permanent employees, while the unions hope for a possible restart.
not unexpected
The decision to put down the books is not completely unexpected. The company, which hopes to find a buyer, has been struggling with financial problems for some time, which became clear last year when V-Tax wanted to make drastic savings on fixed costs. An attempt to replace the outdated Fleet Management System (FMS) with a modern solution came to nothing after the Eindhoven company Censys BV, which had initially signed the contracts, withdrew. abruptly withdrew. “We were advised by V-Tax employees themselves to make sure we were paid,” explains the entrepreneur from Eindhoven, which immediately led to the cessation of all further activities. This emphasizes the precarious financial situation that V-Tax already found itself in at the time.
The company faced several problems. Fleet insurance also became unaffordable after an increasing number of claims. The insurance company refused V-Tax as a customer, so it had to contact a pricing agency. The monthly premium has since been a multiple of the normal cost. They also lost Max Mobiel, one of the largest customers of the Ghent company.
The Ghent taxi company V-Tax, which was founded shortly after the Second World War and grew into the largest and oldest taxi company in the city, has been officially declared bankrupt. This news was confirmed on Thursday by the Ghent corporate court, which also announced the appointment of two curators, Benny Goossens and Pieter Huyghe. These curators will now consider the fate of the company and the possible settlement of the bankruptcy proceedings. An uncertain future looms for the 98 employees of V-Tax, now that their jobs are at risk.
It now remains to be seen whether the company, which has suffered heavy losses since corona, can make a fresh start. It is not the first time that V-Tax has faced bankruptcy. The company had to cease all activities as early as 2006, long before Uber's competition began to dominate the taxi landscape in Ghent. The history of V-Tax goes back to after the Second World War, when André Martens founded the company. The name V-Tax refers to the Volkswagen taxis that formed an important part of the fleet at the time.
Over the years, partly thanks to a series of mergers, the company managed to grow into the largest taxi company in Ghent. In the 90s, Martens' daughter, Monique Martens, made a crucial decision by automating the company. This step was groundbreaking at the time and laid the foundation for the further growth of the company.
At the beginning of this year there was already a change of management within V-Tax, which already gave an indication of the problems the company was facing.
The developments are therefore a new chapter in the already turbulent history of V-Tax. The liberalization of the taxi market and the arrival of Uber have enormously increased the pressure on traditional taxi companies. V-Tax, which was once synonymous with reliability and quality, was ultimately no longer able to cope with the competition and the stricter regulations of the City of Ghent.
restart
According to the local media, the unions have now announced that they hope for a restart, a scenario that has already become reality in the past. After bankruptcy in 2006, V-Tax managed to rise again, with a lot of effort and adjustments. The question is whether this will also be possible now, given the current market conditions and the financial problems the company is experiencing. In addition, things are difficult everywhere in the taxi sector.
The closure of V-Tax at Wiedauwkaai 98 in Ghent, where Huur een Stuur BV was also housed, may mark the end of an era for Ghent. The company was not only a pioneer in the taxi industry, but also an important part of the local economy. With almost a hundred permanent employees now in limbo, the impact on the city and its residents is significant. It remains to be seen whether a rescue is possible, or whether V-Tax will disappear from the streets of Ghent for good.
change of management
Personnel manager Van Cauwenberghe, who was director himself for many years, also believes that some bad decisions have been made. There was already talk of one at the beginning of this year change of management within V-Tax, which already gave an indication of the problems the company was facing. Andy Verbauwhede was appointed as new director for the representation of Aircasell BV in V-TAX BV. He replaced Martijn Steenhaut, the CEO of Huur een Stuur, who had been in charge until then. This change in management initially appeared to be a move to restructure the company and possibly implement new strategies in an attempt to break the downward spiral.
