A few words about making money in harmony with nature. Being a taxi driver doesn't have to mean leaving a carbon footprint. Find out how to reconcile a good job with caring for our planet
Introduction - Ecology as a global trend
Ecology, a word that has been changed by all cases for several years, was not so long ago more fashionable than all kinds of smart devices, such as smart curlers, washing machines or AI watches.
Just moments ago, nothing but the ozone hole, global warming, microflakes were talked about, and Greta Thunberg was calling on politicians to act.
It has changed a bit because of the Covid pandemic and later by the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Today we are talking about mega inflation, about high prices, about an uncertain political situation.
However, the fashion and knowledge about being eco did not pass, only other topics pushed it off the headlines.
Today we still want to live in harmony with nature, we want to be vege, fit, low fat, no gluten, lgbtq+.
In this post I try to prove that being an eco taxi driver pays off.
Is being eco worth it?
Yes, definitely.
But let's start with how to be eco and work as a taxi driver at the same time.
In fact, not so long ago being an eco taxi was associated with being thrifty, and in colloquial language zloty is not only a slightly offensive name for a taxi driver, but also a word with a negative connotation for a penny.
It sounds different when we say that you save money by taking care of ecology.
Being eco taxi you try to use less fuel by driving properly you operate the car more efficiently; you try to buy better car parts to replace them less frequently.
Being an eco taxi is money saved that you can spend on something else, less ecological.
How to provide taxi services with respect for nature?
No one would say that you need to put a piece of brick under the accelerator pedal.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple and obvious when you want to do it comprehensively.
The problem is not the cost or effort to implement.
The biggest problem is to change our habitsand be consistent in it.
The most important for us taxi drivers:
Start using EcoDriving. This is money saved, but you have to do it with your head, because some of the principles that are promoted are downright harmful.
Don't skimp on parts - greedy spends twice. If you buy the cheapest "Chinese", you will spend time and money on another repair, instead of making money.
Don't skimp on oils and greases. Lubricant technology has developed tremendously in recent decades. Use the best solutions available on the market and your taxi will wear out slower.
Tank for provench, frequently frequented stations. There is nothing worse for the fuel system than using untested fuel or one that has been waiting in the tank for who knows how long.
Don't postpone repairs until later. I know how often even taxi drivers put it off for various reasons. Meanwhile, even such an insignificant matter as a slightly worked element of the stabilizer link - if you do hundreds of kilometers with it, it will entail other more expensive elements to repair.
The principle is simple - ecology costs more, just like everything else, but it's only seemingly more expensive. The truth is that ecology is about saving fuel and taking care of the taxi so that it doesn't break down, and it pays off more.
EcoDriving Taxi - how to do it wisely?
It is often said that in order to drive economically, it is essential to drive at the lowest possible engine speed and avoid sudden acceleration and braking.
I once watched a TV show where various tactics used in Ecodriving were presented and let me tell you that some of them were really "interesting", if not tragic.
Example: One driver decided that the best way to do it was to inflate the tires as much as possible and have a driving style of accelerating rapidly and then idling for as long as possible.
Yeah... a friend of vulcanization will surely be happy, and the bearings will probably like it too.
I was taught the eco-driving style for good by working in a taxi.
When bringing tourists from Scandinavia to get a tip, I tried to drive as calmly as possible, staying within the speed limits, planning my braking to make it as smooth as possible.
Eko drives as if you were driving the president in the backseat.
It is also worth taking a look at your colleagues from truck transport. There, a skilled driver knows when to accelerate and when to let go. The truck driver always looks far ahead.
Driving an eco-taxi means using your car the way it's designed. The engine has its optimal work ranges, it does not like sudden changes, but it also does not like silting. Drive normally and the word "normal" should be synonymous with "green".
What will be the future of the taxi?
We will be replaced by Uber, Lift and Bolt autonomous taxis. Before that happens, however, the future of the taxi will be electrification.
There are few industries in which electric cars fit so well.
Due to the cost of purchase, 100% battery-powered taxis are practically not used in Poland, but this is due to our policy.
Only recently has a viable scheme to incentivize the purchase of electric taxis been introduced: My electrician, but at the same time the State almost killed the industry in a stupid way - by liberalizing it.
The effect is that the taxi driver, who is the ideal recipient of such a product as an electric car, has no money to buy or lease.
It's different in courier companies. Today, fleets are rapidly switching to electric vehicles. And a courier is like a taxi driver, only he carries parcels, not people.
The future is electric cars.
There, the amount of mechanical components that wear out is comparable to the set of washing machines and dryers you have at home. Battery technology is the only brake, but it's only a matter of time.
Do you want to know what the future of the taxi will look like? So fly to Oslo, London or Shanghai - where the future is happening now.
Summary
Ecology and taking care of the planet is our duty - we must do it for ourselves and for the next generations.
One of the problems to start with is ubiquitous consumerism, which isn't bad if you don't overdo it. Buying shoes every six months, replacing a blouse with a new one every two months, or eating junk food because it is cheap and quickly available - does not lead to anything good.
The ubiquitous microplastic, phthalates, chemistry, carbon footprint - these are modern problems - we have to start with them, changing our habits of apparent savings and our convenience.
Habits, fortunately, are slowly changing - social awareness and willingness to change are increasing. Fortunately, this is facilitated by EU law, which is slowly moving in the right direction globally.
We want to be able to help our health, prolong life, help nature by taking care of the appearance of our green areas (of which many have already disappeared), as well as take care of the lives of animals - our pets, as well as those whose species we hope to preserve.
Let's use everything wisely, let's be ecological, and the effects will pay off a hundredfold.
