Un new service of urban transport but on two wheels is about to debut in Italy. Is called fast, an innovative application that allows you to book a passage on motorbike or scooter, making transportation faster and more accessible in busy cities like Naples, Milan and Florence. The service, compared to a sort of "Uber of two wheels", promises to revolutionize the way we travel in Italian metropolises, but not without raising controversy among traditional taxi drivers.
The app was founded in London thanks to crowdfunding on the Go platform by two Indians, Manasjvoti Bhuyan e Swagata Bardoloi, who commute between Italy and England. Already present in England and France, the two have decided to bring it to Italy too two-wheel taxi service, which has long been popular in India, to make city travel easier, faster and more convenient.
Fasto: how it works
Fasto is aapplication available for Android and iOS devices, designed to connect passengers and drivers of motorbikes and scooters. The app for booking rides is called Fasto – Book Two-Wheeler Taxi, here customers can request a ride, which locates the closest vehicle available for the ride. Once the request has been accepted, the driver reaches the customer providing a disposable helmet and balaclava to ensure safety and hygiene. As with Uber, the customer can view the driver's rating and pay for the ride in advance, with the fare clearly indicated before booking.
The app allows you to book rides up to 30 days in advance, with the option to pay via cash, credit, debit or Fasto money. Security is a crucial aspect of the service: all rides are tracked via GPS and both drivers and passengers can rate each other after each trip. An active customer service provides constant support to users.
Users can book a scooter with driver even from abroad, making urban travel easier for foreign tourists.
Fasto: how to become a driver
Fasto isn't operational yet, but the company is already rexcluding drivers via its app. To become a two-wheeled taxi driver, you need to meet some requirements fundamentals. In addition to being of age and having an A driving licence, it is mandatory to have the KA certified, a professional qualification for driving motor vehicles. This certificate, which costs around 250 euros, can be obtained through a written exam similar to that for the A driving licence. The driver must also own an insured two-wheeled vehicle. Interested parties can register via the appropriate application Fasto – Partner: Drive & Earn, available on the Google Play Store.
Where the new service will debut
After having already operated in England and France, Fasto therefore decided to arrive in Italy, precisely at a time when there is aurgent need for taxi services. Suffice it to say that in Milan there are 4.855 taxis for 1,4 million inhabitants (one for every 290) or Rome with 7.627 taxis for 2,9 million inhabitants (one for every 380 residents). And the gap increases with the presence of tourists and events which increase the demand for taxis in large cities, to the detriment of those who live and work there.
The Fasto service it will initially debut in Naples, Milan and Florence, cities chosen for their dense traffic network, where a scooter can be much faster and easier to handle than a car. In these cities, a two-wheel taxi service could not only reduce travel times but also reduce costs for passengers. The choice of the first cities is not random, but aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of the service in particularly congested urban contexts. For the next cities it will depend on how well the service is received.
There is already no shortage of controversy, taxi drivers against it
It's no surprise, however, that Fasto's arrival has caused a stir strong reactions, especially among taxi drivers. Milko Signorini, president of Socota (Società Coop Tassisti Firenze), expressed his disappointment, defining the situation as a "slip", fearing that the new service could damage further a sector already in difficulty. “We are in disarray. The next stop is Santo Domingo, where you raise your hand in the street and by paying you can ask anyone for a ride" commented Signorini. The main concern of taxi drivers is the possible loss of customers in favor of a supposedly less expensive service.
fast it could revolutionize urban transport on two wheels in Italy, introducing innovation and practicality to cities. It will be interesting to see how the Italian market will welcome this new platform and whether it will be able to overcome the antagonism of taxi drivers.
