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Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Okada Business in Paris

I read an article titled: "Two-Wheel Taxis Tap Upscale Market in Paris"
in the Startup Journal. Here is an extract:
"As a tourist in Thailand and the Dominican Republic, Cyril Masson hopped on unlicensed motorcycle taxis to get around. Back home, the 33-year-old Parisian and two friends hit on a business idea that some might consider just as crazy: running a two-wheel-taxi operation in one of the world's most genteel cities...

Today Citybird [the name of the okada business] has around 2,500 clients and adds more than 150 each month, Mr. Masson says. Its bikes total around 70 trips each day.

Down the road, Mr. Masson figures Citybird and its growing field of smaller rivals could equal around 4% of the total Paris taxi market. He wants to maintain Citybird's 50% share of the taxi-bike market. "In a few years we could have 200 motor scooters," he predicts."

Via The Wall Street Journal Online. Author: Daniel Michael.

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Argument: There is nothing bad in Okada afterall. "Even oyinbo man dey do okada and dem dey ride am well-well"

The Counter-argument: The white-man (oyinbo) has other means of transportation, better roads, and obey traffic laws (at least more than they do in Nigeria). He wears helmets also- most of the time.


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