Taxi app Beat doubles settlement to back charity project

Ride-sharing and taxi app Beat will be matching the amount of 20,000 euros it was awarded from a recent defamation suit to bankroll two projects that are aimed at promoting equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Athens-based Beat recently won a defamation suit lodged against the president of the SATA taxi drivers’ union, Thymios Lymberopoulos, after he accused the company in 2018 of tax evasion in an apparent bid to put a dent in its massive popularity. The claim was dismissed by a court of first instance in June 2020 and on appeal earlier this month.

Under the new initiative, Beat’s parent company, Free Now, will be contributing an amount of 40,000 euros to help people with disabilities develop digital skills, in partnership with the NGO Access Now. It has also teamed up with nonprofit Social Hackers Academy.