Access to TAG and motorcycle services, implemented by the domestic mobility startup Marti and developed as a solution to Istanbul’s transportation problem, has been blocked.
Access to TAG and motorcycle services, implemented by the domestic mobility startup Marti and developed as a solution to Istanbul’s transportation problem, has been blocked. Istanbul Chamber of Automotive Craftsmen filed a lawsuit against Marti to prevent unfair competition.
It was said that with the Let’s Go With One Vehicle (TAG) service, which was announced in October 2021 and shared with you, it could be a solution for traffic and transportation, one of the biggest problems of Istanbul. With TAG, Marti was bringing together drivers traveling with empty seats in their vehicles and passengers who wanted to go in the same direction. While doing this, only the amount specified by the drivers was deposited by the customers without any profit motive.
Although this different point of view was well received by some, it received negative comments from others. Along with the TAG issue, Marti and the taxi drivers had a discussion. There was even a heated discussion between Marti founder and CEO Oguz Alper Oktem and Istanbul Taxi Professionals Chamber (ITEO) President Eyup Aksu.
In the Marti Motorcycle service, customers used the motorcycles in the designated places to go to the places they wanted.
According to the post made by Bloomberght, in the appeal made to the Istanbul 14th Commercial Court of First Instance, it was claimed that TAG and motorcycle applications caused pirated transportation and created unfair competition against taxi drivers. In addition, it was stated in the petition that although it was stated that the TAG service was “for the sake of transportation”, it was not, in fact, it was moving in the wrong direction. Accordingly, it was requested to block access to websites and mobile applications in order to stop Martı TAG and Marti Motorcycle services.
In line with the court’s decision, access to the “Marti TAG” and “Marti Motorcycle” services within the www.marti.tech website and the Marti mobile application will be blocked. The decision will be conveyed to the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK).
We will inform you again when there is any development on the subject.
Source: Egirisim / Prepared by Irem Yildiz