You are going out, but you prefer not to ride by yourself. What would you do? Let’s book a taxi to where you want. Indeed, we are talking about booking via a smart gadget with mere clicks, not hailing a taxi traditionally.
The staggering evolution of technologies has completely transformed how food delivery and transportation services operate worldwide. At the present time, online taxi booking services are commonplace, and we are all familiar with instant booking via mobile apps. Uber, Grab, and Ola, for example.
At a 4.2% CAGR, the global taxi booking app market is forecasted to be valued at $283 billion by 2028. With approximately 1,747.13 million people engaging with ride-hailing services on a daily basis in 2024, the taxi booking business is positively a goldmine.
In this markdown, we will discuss everything you need to know about taxi booking app development before making a move. Get ready for a detailed rundown.
Taxi or cab booking app refers to a digital platform in which users can book and pay for a ride from a fleet of drivers who use their own vehicles or those provided by taxi service providers. It can be built for both Android and iOS platforms or for each separately.
Within a short timeframe, a taxi booking application connects a passenger with a nearby driver, which is the core logic of this type of digital solution. Typically, the passengers can track the drivers’ location and arrival in real time or preview estimated trip fares and time of arrival before booking. Additionally, users can also select vehicle types or other specific preferences regarding their rides.
The concept of using such an app is also known as ride-sharing or ride-hailing services, moving away from the conventional method of flagging down a taxicab on the street or calling a taxi dispatch center for one.
It is not over-exaggerating to state that taxi booking applications have been a huge stride made for the taxi business industry worldwide. Such apps have revolutionized the way we hail and pay for taxi services - offering convenience and hassle-free experiences for both passengers and drivers.
So, for whom are these apps built? In fact, a taxi booking platform is a three-in-one formation: A driver app, a passenger app, and an admin panel. Thus, the purpose of use and the app functionalities vary for each group of end-users.
The first and foremost target of a taxi application is customers who use the platform to make ride requests. From their perspective, they catch sight of the app’s simplicity, speed, and availability. Some of them may have special features like corporate accounts or split fare options for group rides.
Therefore, if you are a taxi booking app builder, user experience and intuitiveness are crucial factors to keep in mind.
Taxi drivers are the second most important user base of a booking app. From their views, the driver-side platform acts as a control center where they accept or decline a ride request, track the pick-up location and destination using GPS, check trip details, receive payments, and use communication channels to connect with customers or support centers when necessary, etc.
In taxi app development, it is essential to make your app solution user-friendly and easy to navigate in order to ensure seamless operations for drivers - which directly influences customer satisfaction.
Admins are representatives assigned by the taxi service providers to play the role of a management and support center for both drivers and passengers.
Through an admin panel, the practitioners can monitor and manage all activities occurring within the platform in real time - including ride-hailing, passenger pickups/dropoffs, cancellations, payment/refund, complaint resolution, etc.
Now that you have pictured who your potential users of an aggregator taxi booking app are, so you can start contemplating the tech stack, features, and overall app development process.
As mentioned before, a taxi booking application is the culmination of three components: Rider app, driver app, and admin panel. Each calls for its own suite of functions and features to streamline business operations for all who are involved. Hence, the complexity of app capabilities is one of the main drivers of the overall taxi app development cost and, of course, duration.
App owners will have to decide whether to craft a minimum viable product (MVP) or build a completed version of a taxi booking mobile application. An MVP version is a stripped-down app that only consists of the basic features needed for operation while completing a full-fledged product, which would require more complicated functionalities.
You can build a custom taxi booking app with a solid foundation of the following features:
A more complex app always requires additional features that are otherwise available in a basic one. The possibilities of technology are endless, so taxi app developers can play with their creativity to make their apps stand out.
If targeting an international audience, it is a must to build a taxi app that supports multiple languages. Non-native travelers can switch the app language to the one that is convenient for them.
Modern taxi businesses today can include an in-app wallet system. With this feature, users can add money to their wallets and pay for their rides without the hassle of handling cash or inputting credit card information every time.
Introducing a voice command feature that enables passengers and drivers to interact with the taxi booking app using natural language processing (NLP) technology will bring an easier and more convenient user experience. For instance, users ask the app to book a ride by speaking the order out loud instead of typing.
Passengers heading in the same way can share a ride and split the fare with this feature. Drivers can pick these customers up in a sequence that does not affect the dropoff point of other passengers. Group-ride approaches like this help passengers reduce costs and waiting time for all tagalongs. From an environmental perspective, carpooling can reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
In the global taxi market, there are many well-known names for cab booking platforms. If you are stuck figuring out a really good taxi booking app idea, there is no harm in learning from the current top players within the industry before coming up with a brilliant one of your own.
Universally recognized as a pioneer in ride-hailing services, Uber was founded in 2009 by an America-based app development company. Uber has its services available in more than 900 metropolitan areas across the globe.
This “super app” offers a variety of ride options, comprising economy, premium, accessible vehicles, carpooling, bike-sharing, etc., in one single platform. When it comes to taxi mobile app development, a majority of developers or organizations view Uber as a role model for their products.
Known as Uber’s direct competitor, Lyft is an existing taxi business that was established in 2012. The United States and Canada are the two main Lyft’s markets. This taxi service provider offers customers standard luxury car services, scooter-sharing, and bike-sharing services in addition to standard ride options.
Furthermore, Lyft also provides a feature called “Round Up & Donate,” which allows users to round up fares to the nearest dollar and donate differences to a charity of their choice. Thus, Lyft has gained a good reputation for its emphasis on local community engagement and driver welfare.
Operating since 2012, Grab is a Singapore-based tech company that owns the ecosystem of ride-hailing, food delivery, and package delivery services throughout Southeast Asia. In one mega platform, Grab offers a number of features equivalent to different services: Motorbike taxis (GrabBike), private cars (GrabCar), premium vehicles (GrabPremium), and many more.
Additionally, Grab has its e-wallet, called “GrabPay,” which enables customers to make payments for services within the app. With a simplified user interface and strong customer support, Grab is still competing fiercely with other global players in the taxi industry and expanding its services beyond transportation into e-commerce and other sectors.
DiDi is a Chinese taxi booking app that has been in the market since its launch in 2012.
According to the most recent statistics, DiDi has over 550 million users, with an average of around 30 million rides per day. DiDi diversifies its ride-hailing services by providing bike-sharing and carpooling options for customers.
In addition, the taxi booking platform offers car rental services, which enable users to rent vehicles for periods of time at their disposal. The app supports multiple payment modes (like cash, credit card, or DiDi’s own e-wallet system) and various languages.
Founded in December 2010, Ola Cabs is a prominent ride-hailing service headquartered in Bangalore, India. However, its services extend beyond India, being available in over 250 cities across countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
One signature of Ola Cabs is that the platform gives users different ride options like economy, business class, premium, and shared rides. Specifically, the “Ola Share” feature allows passengers to share a ride with others who head in the same direction at a lower price. In addition to taxi hailing, Ola also provides food delivery services (Ola Foods) and offers e-wallet options for payment (Ola Money).
A taxi booking app idea can be brought to fruition in five primary phases:
Like any type of software, a taxi booking app project begins with the fundamental step of brainstorming, researching, and planning in order to create a functional app from scratch for an already existing taxi business or a newfound one.
In this phase, mobile app developers need to go through a few sub-steps to extract accurate insights for their future solution and define their value proposition:
At the end of this phase, you should have a detailed business plan, including the app’s target audience, features, platform and device support, monetization strategy, etc.
The following phase is UI/UX design, which is essential for building an intuitive and engaging user interface and experience for your mobile app.
This is the point when developers start coding for both frontend (client-side) and backend (server-side) components based on the approved design and functionalities. The objective is to build a functional taxi booking app that works and is free from bugs, glitches, and errors.
Once your taxi app passes the testing round, it is time for its debut on the market.
Looking for credible taxi app development services? Come to Orient Software.
We are the best in building custom software solutions in various industry domains, and taxi booking is no exception. Our team has years of experience in developing mobile applications for the transportation industry, including taxi booking apps for both iOS and Android platforms. We have a proven record of top-notch, user-friendly, and efficient software solutions that meet our clients’ requirements. Do not solely take our word for it - check out our portfolios and testimonials to see our successful projects in action.
The Orient team offers end-to-end services. But our support does not stop there - we provide ongoing maintenance and updates to make sure your taxi booking app stays relevant in the ever-changing tech landscape.
Our development process is highly collaborative, so we can ensure we know our clients’ vision and bring it to life. Partner with us today if you crave to bring your idea to a realistic taxi booking app and join the ranks of successful players in the ride-hailing industry. Get started by leaving us a message.
Explore the benefits of mobile apps that go beyond boosting online presence, helping businesses save time, cut costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Want to learn how to build web apps? Our comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know.
Customer satisfaction is key to any app’s success. And the best mobile banking app features elevate the customer experience.
Balancing scalability and performance is crucial for successful eCommerce application development, ensuring a resilient and flexible app that meets user demands.
Leverage legacy code, assure regulatory compliance and a data-driven approach are among the best tips of fintech software development.
Contact us today for a free quote within 3 business days
FOLLOW US
FOLLOW US
