Stampa

Radiotaxis, investigations in the main companies for possible agreements restricting competition


PRESS RELEASE


Following a complaint by Mytaxi Italia Srl, the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has initiated two investigation proceedings for a possible infringement of Articles 101 TFEU or 2 of Law 287/90 (prohibiting agreements restricting competition) by the leading radio taxi service companies in Rome, i.e. Radiotaxi 3570 Soc. Coop., Cooperative Pronto Taxi 6645 Sc, Samarcanda Sc, and Milan, namely Taxiblu Sc, Yellow Tax Multiservice Srl, Autoradiotassi Soc.Coop. Both proceedings concern the exclusivity clauses included in documents regulating the relationships between radio taxi service operators and taxi drivers that are their shareholders/members. These clauses, when applied to a majority percentage of taxi drivers in a given regional sphere (as occurs in Rome and Milan), appear to hinder, if not prevent, the simultaneous use by individual taxi drivers of varied intermediaries for the supply of taxi service demand uptake and sorting services, and in particular to hinder or slow down the entry into the market of new operators offering innovative services of this type (such as the smartphone and tablet application managed by Mytaxi Italia Srl, which puts the user and taxi drivers in direct contact and also provides a rating service). On 24 January 2017, the officers of the Italian Competition Authority, with the assistance of the Special Antitrust Unit of Guardia di Finanza, carried out a series of inspections at the headquarters of the companies concerned and involved in the proceedings, which are believed to be in possession of elements useful to the investigation, as well as at the headquarters of the Unione dei Radiotaxi d'Italia - URI, a national association of radio taxi managers.

Rome, 24 January 2017