A Norwegian appeals court upheld today a lower court ruling that transportation sharing app Haxi does not classify as a professional taxi servie. According to the court’s ruling, police officers in the city of Stavanger have acted improperly by charging the Haxi drivers for operating taxis without a permit.

1. 15.02.2016
Norwegian Court of Appeals Confirm
Legality of transport sharing app Haxi
_____________________________________
Feb 15, 2016 - Gultating Court of Appeal,
Stavanger
A Norwegian appeals court upheld today a lower court ruling
that transportation sharing app Haxi does not classify as a
professional taxi servie. According to the court’s ruling, police
officers in the city of Stavanger have acted improperly by
charging the Haxi drivers for operating taxis without a permit.
“We are very pleased that the appeals judge upheld the earlier
court’s decision. Although we expected the confirmation that
using Haxi to share transportation is legal, it is a relief for the
drivers in Stavanger that the case is now finally closed. We are
looking into ways that we can help the drivers seek reparation
for damages incurred by the Stavanger police in bringing suit
against the drivers” says Aleksander Soender, co-founder of
Haxi.
Between Sep and Nov in 2015, 8 private car owners in the city
of Stavanger were stopped by police and charged for
operating illegal “pirate taxis”. Police removed the cars’ license
plates and issued a fine of 8 000 Norwegian kroner (€840). The
drivers’ refused to pay the fines and allowed the case to go to
court, arguing that Haxi does not qualify as a taxi service in
legal terms. The drivers argued that Haxi is a way of
connecting them to people who need transport and that they
can provide it directly. It is therefore not solicitation of
passengers in a public space, and not an activity requiring a
cab permit.
“People are seeking alternatives to the traditional taxi
monopolies and Haxi is rapidly growing across the Nordics,
purely by word-of-mouth. This case sets a precedent that we
hope other countries will look to, and we hope it will help clear
up the confusion surrounding the legality of sharing apps.
There is no longer any doubt that Haxi is legal, and we expect
it to explode in popularity now” says Soender.
The Haxi app is free and users connect by sending “shout
outs” to drivers nearby who will give them a ride. Unlike its
competitor Uber, Haxi does not determine tariff rates, drivers
and passengers are free to decide how they will share costs.
About Haxi
Haxi is a lifestyle and technology
company developing a user
friendly service for transport
sharing. Based in Scandinavia,
Haxi’s core team is made up of
designers at heart, focused on
bringing new design-based
solutions to transport sharing.
The free Haxi app was launched in
Stavanger, Norway in 2014 and
today it’s the leading service in
Scandinavia for short distance
transport sharing with over 7.000
active drivers serving thousands
of passengers every week.
Haxi is backed by private
investors.
Press Contact:
For more information, to request
an interview with Haxi leadership,
please contact Aleksander
Soender, +4526160630
aleksander@haxi.me
Website & Apps:
Web: ​https://haxi.no/
iPhone: ​https://goo.gl/s6ou8u
Android: ​https://goo.gl/9PJm7Z
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/haxi
https://instagram.com/haxi
https://fb.com/haxiofficial