Indeed, I should have said "the taxi situation in France is a national catastrophe". Some of the private operators are fine but they tend to be very expensive, and to me price is fully part of the service. Le Cab was the exception here in Paris but it is clearly not being helped, as illustrated by this latest proposed measure which, whether it prevents the system from working well or not is clearly intended as an impediment.

I don't like taxi drivers in Nice at all, although to be honest, I haven't found a major difference from the main other places in the country where I use them in terms of customer attitude (Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille are my three most frequent experiences). I just find them unbelieveably expensive which really annoys me although they probably tend to have the nicest cars of the lot (the other day my ride was in a Bentley, which at least felt like something a bit special for the ridiculous €30 for a 15 minute drive!). To me the Nice taxis are proportionally the most expensive, Paris taxis the ones who are most likely to completely ignore road rules (from pedestrian crossings to using their phone), and Bordeaux taxis the most incompetent (how many times have I had to give directions) and most likely to "take you for a ride" if you don't know the place, particularly to venture on a long rocade circuit where there is a direct, cheaper and faster route inwards! Not a pretty picture. All are expensive to very expensive (there are btw a number of private taxi companies in Nice where the drivers are absolutely charming but they tend to be about 10-15% more expensive than the "waiting" cars which I refuse to pay).

Anyway, all that to say that I am a big supporter of liberalisation. The taxi situation in the UK and Australia is far healthier than in France but corporatism rules here in that particular sector (as in many others to be honest, for those who are following the implementation of the "changements des rythmes scolaires" there is much to laugh about but let's not go OMNI). It is indeed very odd that Le Cab was started by AL who are the most expensive mini cab company in London by a long long shot (about double most others!)

Anyway, on the lounge, I hope olivedel is right and this is indeed a 'pilot' that is intended to be extended to other routes and times. If so, it would be a genuine improvement to the rail-air offering of AF and one to command.