Article by Guy Henderson, Chief Visionary Officer at idle
Choosing Leicester as the launchpad for idle was a deliberate decision rooted in challenge, not convenience. Leicester is one of the UK’s most culturally diverse cities, with over 70 languages spoken across its metropolitan area, according to Leicester City Council data. This rich, dense urban tapestry presented a complex, real-world environment to test a new mobility platform from the very first ride.
That very density created a high-pressure testing ground. In a compact city, demand surges and logistical friction occur rapidly. Our early platform was rigorously tested on payments, GPS accuracy, driver app usability, and passenger experience. Every flaw was exposed quickly. Crucially, we started with zero existing driver networks or brand recognition. Our belief was simple: if we could build a loyal user base from nothing in such a demanding environment, using only a functional platform and a commitment to fairness, we could replicate that success anywhere. Leicester taught us how to build a resilient service.
Now, the mission shifts from building to scaling. Scaling requires a different kind of market—not necessarily a better one, but one with distinct dynamics. That’s why we are expanding to Liverpool. The city offers a constant, high-volume influx of new potential users: 5.6 million annual passengers through Liverpool John Lennon Airport (Airport Statistics, 2023), daily international visitors from its cruise ship terminal, and tens of thousands of fans on match days for its two Premier League football clubs. Add a large, rotating student population and world-class tourist attractions like the Albert Dock and Tate Liverpool, and you have a city with relentless, fresh demand.
The contrast with Leicester is strategic. In Leicester, we focused on changing deeply ingrained local travel habits. In Liverpool, a stream of new passengers—tourists, business travelers, students—arrive daily, already needing a ride. This shifts the challenge from habit formation to seamless service delivery at volume. Leicester was our proving ground; Liverpool is our launchpad for scalable growth. We’re also encouraged by the organic demand from drivers, such as the active Merseyside Drivers WhatsApp Group, who have been vocal in requesting our arrival.
The Fork in the Road
The broader private hire industry often presents itself as innovative, but much of it relies on the same foundational model: a third-party platform taking a commission from every fare. New apps frequently rebrand this structure with slight percentage adjustments or nominal “admin fees,” but the core architecture of extraction remains. This approach doesn’t rebuild a broken system; it cosmetically alters it. When market pressure or investor returns demand higher margins, that underlying extraction intensifies, often at the expense of driver earnings.
“To Make Real Change, You Have to Rebuild from the Ground Up”
Our response wasn’t to promise “lower commissions.” We designed a platform where taking a commission is structurally impossible. Our ethics are not a policy add-on; they are encoded in the app’s very architecture.
We are frequently asked why we don’t offer promotional discounts to attract passengers. The answer is a firm no. A discount on a fare is a direct deduction from a driver’s pocket for that trip. We believe that marketing costs should be borne by the platform, not the workers. Our model is transparent: drivers pay a flat £7 weekly subscription for 24/7 access to the app and keep 100% of their fare revenue, minus only the essential Stripe payment processing fee (1.4% + 20p per transaction). This contrasts sharply with industry-standard variable commissions that can range from 25% to over 50% per trip, creating unpredictable and often unsustainable earnings for drivers.
While the industry standard path is to layer new branding over an old, extractive model, we chose the opposite. We built from scratch to eliminate that extraction entirely. The result is a driver-first platform where earning potential is clear, fair, and protected.
We Are Not Going Anywhere
This model has resonated far beyond our initial expectations. Our team is deeply committed to this ethos. Drivers in Leicester and now Liverpool report feeling a tangible difference in their take-home pay and autonomy. We receive consistent inquiries from cities across the globe—from Florida and Texas to Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Warsaw—asking when idle will launch locally. Local business groups in Merseyside have reached out to support our expansion. Passengers frequently praise the transparency and driver satisfaction they observe.
The journey from Leicester’s rigorous test to Liverpool’s dynamic launchpad confirms our thesis: a truly equitable platform built on ethical architecture can thrive. The interest from drivers and passengers alike suggests we are addressing a fundamental need in the sector.
Article by Guy Henderson, Chief Visionary Officer at idle, a driver
Image Credit: www.taxi-point.co.uk
