The Dutch taxi industry is on the brink of significant reform with the introduction of the Central Taxi Transport Database (CDT) legislation.
Although the initiators want to ensure a more efficient, centralized administration of trip data, several players in the market express serious concerns about the feasibility and safety of the new system. Euphoria Mobility, known under the brand name Cabman, has in a open letter expressed its concerns about this upcoming legislation. The company fears that the new rules, as currently designed, pose significant risks, ranging from reduced data reliability to increased costs for carriers.
One of the key points Euphoria Mobility raises is the legitimacy of the chosen measurement instrument. In the current system, taxi data such as time, distance and location are recorded by an on-board computer, a certified and calibrated system that Euphoria Mobility claims is very reliable. However, the new CDT legislation would not require a calibrated GPS sensor, meaning that taxi operators could use a device that is less accurate.
“The GPS location in this form-free system is no longer reliable,” states Euphoria Mobility. The signal can easily be manipulated with apps, which are freely available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. This makes it possible to influence the GPS location or the registered service times, which would be comparable to manipulating paper trip reports. This could lead to situations in which service times can no longer be reliably checked, a problem that could have far-reaching consequences for the entire system.
cost savings remain absent
Euphoria Mobility also criticizes the cost structure that comes with the CDT legislation. The legislation seems to have been designed with cost reduction for carriers in mind, but Euphoria Mobility warns that this objective may not be achieved. In the current system, a certified on-board computer is able to combine multiple tasks, such as time registration, transaction processing and vehicle data, but the new regulation requires integration of multiple disparate systems. This would not only mean higher maintenance costs, but also require additional equipment, resulting in a significant increase in costs.
"The current approach will not result in cost reduction for the carrier," Euphoria Mobility emphasizes, pointing to the need to replace smartphones and tablets regularly, partly because manufacturers only support security updates to a limited extent.
Euphoria Mobility also points out that other European countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, are strongly committed to certified measuring instruments that are directly connected to vehicles and comply with international regulations such as the MID (Measurement Instruments Directive). In these countries, intelligent taximeters are used that accurately record all journey data and make it accessible to authorities. Euphoria Mobility emphasises that a similar approach could help the Netherlands to better align with European trends while ensuring data quality and control.
“We miss the direct supervision of journey data that is the norm in other European countries,” the company said, adding that Dutch CDT legislation appears to apply different standards compared to the rest of Europe.
Another point of criticism concerns the role of ICT service providers and chain partners such as the Tax Authorities and driver advocacy bodies. Euphoria Mobility notes that current legislation largely disregards them. This means that carriers, and not service providers, are liable for problems with the registration or quality of data. According to the company, the absence of a role for these parties would lead to fragmented enforcement, with each chain partner possibly imposing different requirements. “The costs and complexity are shifted to later links in the chain,” the company writes, warning that the benefits for carriers will therefore be limited.
Euphoria Mobility also mentions practical objections such as the registration of vehicle registration certificates. The legislation obliges carriers to register vehicles manually using a smart card chip, which requires specific hardware. For many independent entrepreneurs and smaller carriers, this measure would be cumbersome and difficult to implement. The complex technological requirements of the system could discourage carriers from embracing the new legislation, says Euphoria Mobility.
While Euphoria's criticism can thus be seen as protecting their own interests, it also raises important questions about the effectiveness and reliability of the new CDT legislation.
Euphoria Mobility is an advocate of modernisation in the taxi industry, but emphasises that changes must be implemented in a considered manner. In its closing statement, the company warns that the CDT legislation in its current form carries the risk that carriers lose track of the multitude of systems and data flows. The company advocates a solution that not only aims to reduce costs, but also ensures the reliability, transparency and integrity of data. “The market must be able to rely on solutions that offer the right quality, functionality and accuracy,” says Euphoria Mobility, emphasising that a hasty implementation of the new system could pose major challenges for both carriers and enforcement authorities.
self interest
Euphoria Mobility's critical remarks on the new Central Taxi Transport Database (CDT) legislation can be seen as advocacy from their position as supplier of the current on-board computers. As a producer and supplier of technology that has been essential for the registration of taxi and transport data for years, Euphoria naturally has an interest in maintaining or expanding this market. The new legislation could lead to a shift where software solutions on smartphones or tablets replace the traditional on-board computer, which could reduce their market share and relevance.
Euphoria states that current on-board computers offer higher standards in terms of data reliability, security and integrity of journey data. These systems are certified and can perform more complex tasks, such as directly recording transactions and working hours, which according to the company makes them more reliable than the proposed software solutions. This can indeed be seen as an argument to continue to safeguard the use of their technology.
However, their criticism is not entirely unfounded. The Netherlands' choice to apply these standards more loosely in the CDT legislation may entail risks. The costs for carriers, which Euphoria points out, also constitute a legitimate concern, especially when the new systems may require additional equipment and integrations, which can increase the overall costs for business owners rather than decrease them.
