Work Flow of The Uber like Taxi Booking App

by Mobisoft Infotech Web and Mobile App Development Company

Taxi app development companies have changed the way we used to think about cabs. No one has to wait for endless minutes waiting for their ride to arrive, thanks to taxi app solutions. Cab booking solutions like Uber, Ola Cabs, Meru have made it possible to book sure shot taxi rides right from our smartphones. This has brought quite a revolution in the world of personal transport system.

Taxi App Solutions for Different Type of Taxi Associations

There are two types of taxi businesses that can benefit from taxi apps. One is the traditional form of taxi associations that own their personal fleet of cars and drivers. Meru Cabs is an example for this type of company.

Another way taxi apps can help us by linking passengers with cab drivers. Uber is one such organization which serves to connect passengers with willing drivers without owning any car or driver's itself. The business has to team up with taxi associations or invite interested drivers with vehicles to sign up.

How Do Apps like Uber Work?

The basic requirements for apps like Uber to function are smart phone and internet connectivity. You need to have two devices that have internet in them. Thankfully, unlike a decade back, everybody owns a smart phone and internet connection is pretty easy to get these days. If you’re living in the U.S. or U.K, there are enough WiFi access points all over your city, so you might not have to worry about wireless connectivity as well.

Once you have a device that has internet connectivity, the following takes place.

Passenger Requests Taxi Ride

The passenger launches the app in his smartphone and enters his destination. The user can type out his location or choose from major destinations preset in the map. Street names and important facilities like airports, hospitals are suggested automatically by the app via auto fill feature. The passenger can also select from various car types.

Cab Driver Accepts Fare

The nearby drivers registered with the app receive notification about the fare and has options of accepting or refusing it. When one does accept, the location and arriving time of the assigned driver is displayed on the passenger’s smartphone. The estimated fare can also be viewed and the user can track the taxi till it arrives.

Termination of The Ride

After the ride is initiated, the whole route is displayed on both driver’s and passenger’s phones. After the ride the fare is shown and can be paid through cashless payment methods through the app. The process ends with both the driver and the passenger getting a chance to rate each other on their experience.

Resources Used in Taxi Apps

The taxi apps make use of some third party tools which are integrated in the app.

Map and Geo Location Services

Uber uses Google Map for GPS and tracking the routes and destinations. When a passenger requests a ride, his coordinates are relayed to server which initiates a search for drivers in the vicinity. The drivers are located and receive push notification with fare details. After accepting, the map is again used to track the vehicle and passenger.

The calculation of the fare is based on the distance traveled which is determined by GPS. There is no meter like a traditional taxi and the final fare is displayed after the ride exclusive of fare, waiting time and taxes, if any.

Mobile Payment Systems

Uber uses a third party mobile payment system called Paytm for cashless transactions. Users can use the money in their Paytm account to directly pay for the fare. For this there has to be sufficient balance in the Paytm account. Recently Uber also launched cash options for its passengers to increase their consumer reach.

Two Versions of Taxi Apps – for Drivers and Passengers

Both the driver and passenger use Uber app, but the interface and functions are different. A taxi app development company will make both the versions which are synced with each other for optimum performance. If you own a taxi business, it is high time for you to look into taxi app solutions for a strong future.