Fair rides for Finland

Root Taxi started with a conversation in a taxi queue at Helsinki-Vantaa. A driver explained that of every euro on the meter, a quarter disappeared to an app company on another continent — and that prices for riders still kept climbing. Both sides were losing, and the middle was winning.

We asked a simple question: what if a ride platform charged drivers like every other business tool — a flat monthly fee — instead of taxing every single trip? Drivers would keep their income. And if drivers competed openly on price, riders would finally see what a trip really costs.

That question became Root Taxi: a live bidding marketplace where drivers keep 100% of every fare and riders pick their offer. Built in Finland, for Finland — starting with the Helsinki metropolitan area and the airport corridor.

Finland deregulated its taxi market in 2018, opening the door for new models. Yet the market settled into the same global pattern: a couple of foreign apps taking 25–30% of drivers' income while leaving suburbs and off-peak hours underserved.

We believe Finland deserves a homegrown alternative — one where the economics favor the people in the car. That's the gap Root Taxi exists to fill, starting in greater Helsinki and expanding city by city.