Smartphones and the internet have completely changed the market for taxi services. Now we can communicate with drivers directly, using a mobile app, not through a dispatcher or searching for a yellow cab right on the street. We owe this new habit to Uber Technologies Inc. This service was founded in 2009, whose name has already become a taxi synonym in some cities.
Over the past few years, online taxi services have become irreplaceable and continue to attract much more customers each year. Not even the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the positive trend. Let’s take a closer look at what makes taxi apps so popular today.
Cost-Effectiveness
One of the most practical benefits of using taxi apps is knowing how much the trip will cost in advance. For example, you need only to type in your location and destination point, without even wondering, “How much does Lyft cost for this particular ride?”. The app will calculate it for you.
Usually, taxi services are cheaper than calling for a regular taxicab, and this rule of thumb works especially well in airports. However, with a sudden increase in demand, in bad weather, at peak hours, or late night, the cost of rides may substantially increase in online taxis, too.
Besides, you can pay for transportation in cash or with a card linked to the taxi service app. The latter option has become a prevalent plus when operating in the pandemic world.
Convenience
With the taxi industry’s development and a wide range of taxi companies available today, you can quickly find a suitable car in the economy or business class for any purpose. Taxi services consider their passengers’ various needs – from bulky luggage to rides with small children. Finding a vehicle with a child safety seat (or even two) or reserving a ride with up to six seats for comfortable transportation of a bigger group is not a problem anymore.
Besides, taxi drivers that offer to transport the children conduct separate training held by a taxi company. They learn how to handle the child’s safety seat and respond to the child’s crying, fatigue, or active behavior in the passenger seat. That may positively affect customer experience and, therefore, driver’s rating.
Quickness
Since a large number of cars are connected to the app, the search for a suitable vehicle takes just a few seconds, with the order processing taking about a minute. Also, you get information about the estimated arrival of a taxicab to your location and the ride’s approximate duration to your destination place.
Another useful feature offered by taxi services is setting a pick-up at a specific time, reserving a vehicle in advance. Thus, you can be sure you will not wait a minute for a taxicab and miss neither an appointment nor airport check-in.
Safety
Taxi companies’ main goal is to ensure that the number of satisfied customers is continuously increasing. As the competition between them is intense, they are constantly forced to raise the bar in service quality. While the requirements for drivers and their cars change, passengers can only benefit from it.
Safety has become the top priority for any taxi service, especially during the pandemic. For many people, taxi remains the only secure and convenient solution to maintain their busy big-city lifestyles, so it is crucial to provide passengers with enhanced safety and sanitary measures.
Protection screens installed behind the driver’s seat and taxi drivers themselves obliged to wear a mask have become an essential part of the taxi industry. Apart from protecting both drivers’ and passengers’ health, implementing these safety practices helped taxi services gain credibility and build a reliable image among customers in the long run.
Extra Features
To adjust to the new normal and provide their customers with convenient transportation and communication with the outside world, different taxi companies offer much more than just a taxi service today. The additional options include:
- food (and not only) delivery
- car rental
- bikes and scooters rental
- public transport schedules and maps
Creating the opportunity to use just one app that allows consumers to order anything they might need without leaving home (especially during the lockdown) has probably facilitated the taxi service industry’s development and increased popularity.
Conclusion
Many taxi services today not only cover their passengers’ transportation purposes but also offer them new, convenient solutions for their daily needs by reducing the need to leave their homes. Nowadays, you can order a vehicle not only to pick you up from a party or to take you to the office, but to order a delivery of takeaway food, groceries, or a courier for your personal errands.
Another crucial factor is increased competition in the taxi market. It continuously encourages different services to improve and expand their offer. Good driving experience and a clean car are not enough anymore. Online taxis make safety a top priority will always be in high demand.
Tom is a lifelong New Jersey resident, Rutgers and FDU alumni and the publisher of The Digest.
