Collective taxis in 1930s Paris: A contribution to an archaeology of ‘uberization’

Abstract

The recent ‘uberization’ of Paris taxis has brought major, long-standing issues back to the surface: A historic analysis of how the Paris taxi system has functioned over the last century offers a clear explanation of why it is difficult to hail a taxi in the middle of the street, as opposed to New York for example. Paris taxis, which have been the subject of never-ending discussion, were associated during their early years with a heroic Great War mythology, and were connected to the Parisian car industry’s beginnings. Collective use of taxis existed in the 1930s; however, these services disappeared as a result of severe monopolistic regulation. Using different sources, this paper aims to define why and how collective taxis grew and failed in 1930s Paris.

Moving in informal circles in the global North: An inquiry into the navettes in Brussels

“…The "supposed incommensurability" of the Southern and Northern experiences draws "a dividing line between the economic hubs of the Northern and the Southern megalopolis" (Hilbrandt et al, 2017, p. 946). Accordingly, in Northern urban contexts informality is occasionally mentioned to invoke historical practices (Dienel and Vahrenkamp, 2018;Flonneau, 2018;Schwantes, 1985), rather than applied as an analytical category for studying contemporary mobility. Yet, as suggested by the existence of the navettes, informality is not necessarily constrained to marginalised and peripheralised localities, but can thrive right within extensively regulated and complex transport networks and hubs.…”