The Israel Airports Authority has barred GetTaxi and its drivers from operating at Ben Gurion Airport, preventing them from picking up arriving passengers. "Globes" has obtained the letter from the Airports Authority's lawyer to GetTaxi, which states, "GetTaxi drivers are not allowed to accept orders via the application and collect passengers from Airports Authority, because this is not a special trip reserved in advance. For taxis belonging to the company or operated by it to make trips from Airports Authority, the company must obtain commercial permission from the Airports Authority, among other things."
The order does not apply to rides to the airport, but only to pick-ups.
GetTaxi CEO Shahar Waiser counters, "The law says something very simple: there are two ways to leave at Ben Gurion Airport by taxi, either by a franchisee who won a tender to take you immediately from the taxi stand at the airport, or by a private driver or driver at the taxi stand who pays the Airports Authority a fee for leaving the airport. This is how all of GetTaxi's drivers have operated, but the moment passengers who ordered rides through us reached a large number, it began bothering the other parties and Ben Gurion Airport manager Shmuel Zakkai has an interest to support them."
Although Waiser did not name names, he is referring to two specific taxi stands: Hadar and Castel. Hadar has had the franchise to operate the taxi stand at Ben Gurion Airport for many years, and is basically a monopoly of departing taxis. Castel has been responsible in recent years for carrying employees of El Al, the biggest airline operating at Ben Gurion Airport.
GetTaxi's activity at Ben Gurion Airport, along with attempts in recent months to secure a contract with El Al to become the airline's exclusive carrier, have apparently affected the business of Hadar and Castel. This is partly because of the convenience of ordering a cab via the app, and because of GetTaxi's lower prices. Hadar, for example, exploits the fact that it is the only taxi stand at Ben Gurion Airport to charge prices accordingly.
I don’t understand how Hadar has won the Ben Gurion Airport franchise for 20 years," says Waiser, adding, "What is also unclear is why Zakkai, as the airport manager, accepts a salary from the public, and should serve the public's interest, but choses to do the opposite."
GetTaxi is considering legal action against its ouster from Ben Gurion Airport and resume picking up passengers there.
The Airports Authority said in response, "The Airports Authority protects passengers, especially tourists who come to Israel from illegal cabs which damage Israel's image, and tourists most of all. The Airports Authority operates by law, which requires tenders, traffic regulations, and the laws and bylaws of the Airports Authority. Several taxi companies operate at Ben Gurion Airport, which legally won tenders to operate taxis from the airport. Every waiting taxi from any station that arrives at the airport can pick up passengers, after registering and payment pursuant to the laws and regulations. The Ben Gurion Airport manager issued the ban against GetTaxi following a hearing, except for those who signed the document that they will operate in accordance with the traffic rules and regulations and regulations of the Airports Authority."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 20, 2014
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