As of 23:59, Lisbon time, on April 3, 2023, FREE NOW will close in Portugal. According to the information, this was a difficult decision to make on the part of the company, which is extremely grateful for all the passengers and drivers who were part of the service.
Free Now operated in the TVDE market in Portugal
Free Now was one of three companies operating in the TVDE market in Portugal. The company said today that it will no longer operate in Portugal.
Asked about the reasons for his departure, an official source from the company at European level explained to PÚBLICO that “over the years, Free Now operated and grew successfully in Portugal”. “However”, he added, “a weak growth trajectory, strong competition and the lack of a core taxi service business led to the decision to exit the market”. “This is based on the clear strategic decision for the business to focus on profitability, as well as the impact of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and continued strong competition”, he concluded.
Indicating that the service in Portugal ends within a month, Free Now indicated in the written response sent to Lusa that “all collaborations in force are currently ceasing”. “All employees who worked in this market will be affected. We will talk individually to outline how they will be affected and compensation will be offered to each departing person,” the company explained, without specifying. “Compensation will be offered to each affected person based on their geographic location and permanence. Free Now offers compensation that, in many cases, goes beyond legal requirements”, said the company.
Headquartered in Germany and with a universe of 1850 employees, Free Now emerged after the merger of transport applications Kapten (formerly Chauffeur Prive) and MyTaxi.
In November 2019, Cabify also announced that it would stop operating in the Portuguese market.
