With last Friday’s announcement that TfL had decided not to renew Uber’s private hire license in London, the debate on the sharing economy in the UK has never been more heated.

For some, the technological disrupters such as Uber and Airbnb offer a more affordable, safer, and convenient experience, but to others there are great causes for concern regarding safety which need to be addressed – and with the recent announcement, does it spell the end of the sharing economy as we know it today?

 

According to analytics company, App Annie, in the 48 hours following the decision, rival private hire firms all saw a 159% uplift in UK downloads versus the previous week, whilst Uber was still downloaded the most during the same time as its rivals combined.

 

Whatever the outcome between Uber and TfL, the signals all point to the sharing economy being very much here to stay. In today’s fast-paced, app-centric world, this begs the question for those of us involved in the travel industry; how are the new ground transportation options viewed in your organisation, and more importantly, does your travel and expense policy address the use of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) to meet your corporate liabilities?

 

As a travel manager, your travellers may enjoy using TNCs such as Uber and Lyft for personal transportation, but if they are using it for their business needs, does it conflict with your existing preferred supplier agreements, and is it having an impact on the time, cost, and control of your programme? With the growth of TNCs, you need to be prepared and understand what works best for your company. 

Working with ITM Buyer Members and procurement specialists, and NYC specialist transportation lawyers headed up by Professor Matthew Daus of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, we have launched a new resource that offers a guide on how to best source and contract with TNCs across the world.

 

With this resource, the queries you may have relating to best practice towards ensuring the right legislation, duty of care and operating processes are in place are addressed providing a useful tool for all those who have to manage a ground transportation expenditure.

Downloadable Resource: Guide to TNC Sourcing & Contracting