This holder of a master’s degree in economics from the University of kyiv turns to the taximan profession after having made little jobs. “”When I was a student, I was driving a taxi during the summer holidays to make money. ” He loved the job, even if it was not easy. “”The customers were aggressive, they smoked when it was prohibited, they left without paying “he recalls, he who was able to follow university studies thanks to a state scholarship.
“I settled down as independent “. He moved from Ganshoren (Brussels-Capital Region) to Wemmel, in the Flemish region. “C‘was easier to get the necessary documents. ” However, it will take 9 months to complete the backrest and get its plate. We are in 2019. He works for Uber. “ I never had a problem. ” It is very well noted by customers.
“After two years, my car engine dropped me. It was a Mercedes. To repair it, I was asked between 13 and 14,000 euros“. A sum that Oleksandr simply cannot pay.
. “I use almost all my money to buy cars. I receive a deposit and the cars leave for Ukraine “
Opportunity
He then changed activity and embarked on the purchase and sale of cars, especially to his native country. He collaborated for a few months with another person, also from Ukraine. “”He announces that he found a client in Ukraine who wants to buy at least ten cars “. The good deal, apparently. “”I use almost all my money to buy cars. I receive a deposit and the cars leave for Ukraine “. He will never be paid for all. “”I lost a lot of money. “
He resumed his activity behind the wheel of a taxi in 2024. “I like this work, offer good service, serve the customer “. Above all, he has never been damaged. He joined a company that has some taxis. Oleksandr is then found in another company, which this time ensures the transport of its VIP customers in luxury limousines.
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“The boss is looking for a driver who speaks English, French, Dutch and who has never been damaged “. A driver who is also ready to make long distances, towards airports or foreign cities, driving a Mercedes Class S. “I’ve been working on it for over a year “
At the beginning of 2025, he had the possibility of having a license for a taxi for the Brussels region. A very great opportunity that he can manage in parallel with his independent activity. “”I can start my business if I find a car and a driver “. He created the company, the Belgium Royal Ride. He finds a Ukrainian to the driver. “”I know it is very difficult for them to win a job in Belgium. I went through the active Ukrainian sites and groups in Belgium “.
Credit for a tesla
It only remains to find the car and especially to pay it. “”This is where the problem begins “. He first goes to BNP Paribas Fortis to obtain a credit. He wins a refusal. “”It was a new company and I had no experience “. The bank directs it to Microstart. “”My mother is guaranteed for credit “. He obtained the 25,000 euros requested. He adds 5,000 euros in his pocket.
The choice fell on a Tesla. “”It is an electric car. It’s ecological and use is cheaper than a diesel car “, he explains. The big advantage is security. “”The passengers of a taxi do not like to put their seat belt. In Tesla, each passenger is forced to attach their belt, otherwise, there is an alarm “. This also allows you to run the car almost 24 hours a day. “The battery can be recharged very quickly. There is a driver during the day and another at night “. Today, he is looking for another Tesla car, which will also be the taxi on behalf of Uber. “”This allows me to give work to Ukrainians “.
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Back to Ukraine?
He remains a driver in the VIP transport company. In its schedule, a trip to Dijon a few days later. The journey is 519 kilometers. Days with 1,000 -kilometer routes are not uncommon. The longest race was a round trip to Berlin.
Back in Ukraine, there is no question. “”Unfortunately not. Almost all my friends left Ukraine. For my 6 -year -old daughter, her country is Belgium. My wife is an accounting assistant. We pay a lot of taxes in Belgium, but we are very good there. And then, Ukraine has changed since I left, it’s no longer the same country. I am Ukrainian, I know the Ukrainian language, but I have always spoken Russian in the family and I prefer to speak Russian. If you say hello in Russian in Ukraine, it’s very frowned upon “.
