POINT TO POINT TRANSPORT A proposal to the NSW Government Taskforce Date : 24th September, 2015 ThankUbank Level 9, Avaya House 123 Epping Rd, North Ryde, NSW 2113 AUSTRALIA Phone : 61 2 90116132 E-Mail : ceo@thankubank.com www.thankubank.com
Point to Point Transport ThankUbank 2 Overview The NSW government initiated the Point to Point Taskforce primarily in response to the arrival of ridesharing services like Uber. Ridesharing is part of a broader development of a new type of economy based on a more efficient use of assets and resources. A key feature of this new economy is that it puts consumers rather than service providers in control. The next logical phase of this development is consumer-led pricing which has the potential to completely change the nature of consumer services not just in transport but in many other areas. This next phase provides the taskforce with a simple solution to creating a level playing field as set out in the FAQ in this submission. Sincerely. George Matafonov CEO & Founder, ThankUbank
The Peer-to-Peer Economy Point to Point Transport ThankUbank 3 What is the Peer to Peer Economy? The peer-to-peer or sharing economy is a more collaborative approach to sharing assets and resources made possible by the new communication technologies. It extends to just about every area of human activity from sharing cars and spare rooms to taking the time to help someone for nothing more than a slab of beer or just a heartfelt thankyou. How does ThankUbank fit into the sharing economy? Central to the sharing economy is the need for trust. It is critically important to be able to trust who you share with, let into your house or collaborate with. The traditional approach of government and industry regulation no longer works in such a fast-paced and diverse environment creating a gap which ThankUbank fills by providing a standardized and centralized reputation management service on a global basis. What services does ThankUbank provide? ThankUbank works much like the classified section of a traditional newspaper, which lists services, opportunities and various requests. People respond and fulfill these requests. The key difference is ThankUbank provides comprehensive reputation management for both sides of the transaction as well as helping people to complete these transactions through services like GPS tracking for taxis and ridesharing. Does ThankUbank provide a payment service? We don t get involved in the payment side of any transaction because the sharing economy puts consumers totally in control. Consumers rather than service providers decide prices, payment methods which can extend beyond money to other forms of remuneration. In the traditional economy services providers are in control. They set prices, payment methods and how and where services are provided. The sharing economy has the potential to turn this model upside down.
Point to Point Transport ThankUbank 4 How can traditional services adapt or compete in this environment? ThankUbank provides the means for traditional services to easily adapt to this new environment by changing their business models to include consumer-led pricing, starting with the taxi industry. What is the new business model for the taxi industry? The new model for the taxi industry involves consumers setting the price for travel rather than being charged a metered amount. It works in the following way: Consumers provide travel details. Consumers offer a fare they feel is reasonable. Drivers consider the offer and respond. Consumers adjust their offer based on responses. Once fare is accepted and agreed. ThankUbank provides GPS mapping and tracking. On completion consumers pay the set and agreed price. Drivers and passengers rate and comment on experience. How does the new model help the taxi industry compete? The new model by taking pricing out of the equation enables traditional service providers to compete on equal footing within the sharing economy. This will result in more people catching cabs, higher income for drivers because of reduced idle time and a much more efficient public transport service. Drivers will earn more because in peak times consumers will be prepared to offer more to get the service they want and drivers will not be idle, earning nothing, in off-peak times. Does ThankUbank allow ridesharing services? Because ThankUbank is a global service which covers not just ridesharing but a myriad of other similarly regulated consumer services it is not possible to police every possible regulatory environment. ThankUbank, therefore, does not act and cannot act as a regulator.
Point to Point Transport ThankUbank 5 At the core, the sharing model is all about self-regulation based on reputation management. We leave it up to people to decide which services they want to use and offer, how they want to use them and how they want to pay for them. On this basis ridesharing services are allowed and acceptable on ThankUbank. Does ThankUbank vet service providers? Because ThankUbank is a global service, covering a myriad of service offerings it is not possible to vet service providers individually. The vetting is done through our comprehensive reputation management system. We also require service providers to include as much information about themselves and their service as possible to help people make an informed choice. For example, ridesharing service providers have to upload at least three images relating to their service. This can include images of the car, their credentials and any other information relating to their service. Does ThankUbank get involved in disputes? No, we do not get involved in any disputes. We are like the online search engines providing a meeting point between consumers and suppliers. Are any services precluded? We preclude adult services and any activities of a criminal nature like drug production and distribution. Can the consumer-led pricing work in other areas? We expect that consumer-led pricing will quickly expand to many other areas of economic activity and completely change the provision of goods and services. The bottom-line is that consumer-led pricing will make goods and services more affordable for those on low income. This will increase economic activity, create new efficiencies in the distribution of goods and services while improving the general health of society.
ThankUbank Level 9, Avaya House 123 Epping Rd, North Ryde, NSW 2113 AUSTRALIA Phone : 61 2 90116132 E-Mail : ceo@thankubank.com www.thankubank.com