Since the introduction of online cab booking in the traditional taxi market, we have witnessed a huge growth in the taxi, cab, or ride-hailing industry. It has become a very high competitive niche especially due to the popular taxi booking apps like Uber and Ola. There are many businesses and investors who have started to invest in ride-hailing app development and also adopt the same business strategy for more profitable revenue.
If you are also wishing to enter this industry, then you shouldn’t stop reading this article in which we will give you a complete guide on how to develop a taxi app. We will not only tell you to how to develop an app like Uber, but also its cost, and the strategies to beat Uber and gain a market share. Since we are competing with Uber, let’s know more about Uber.
Quick Stats
Uber is the leader of the taxi-booking industry. It has seen great growth over the last 5 years. Here are some exciting stats about it:
- The global market value of Uber is $72 billion.
- In the most recent quarter, Uber generates $12 billion in the gross bookings
- In the USA only, Uber fulfills 40 million trips within a month
The above stats were just a squib of the Uber.
How to develop a taxi app?
You must know that there is not a single app in taxi apps like Uber, food delivery apps like Zomato, or bus booking apps like Redbus. These are a combination of Passenger or Customer apps, Driver or Food delivery apps, Admin Panel, and Dispatcher Panel. The features, functionalities, UI & UX may be different for each of these apps. The bunch of these apps makes the ecosystem of Taxi app development. Let’s know in detail about each app development.
Passenger App
Our mobile application developers can build iOS & Android taxi booking apps with every required feature and a highly captivating user interface for smooth cab booking through the mobile application. Here are the essential features:
Profile Creation
The passenger would be able to create a profile in a dedicated section where he can manage his details easily.
Verification of Mobile No
To make the app secure, you must verify the users through the OTP verification on their mobile number. You can also send OTP at the time of booking which would be shared to the driver.
Ride Now
The users would be able to book a cab by tapping on the Ride Now or a similar button.
Schedule Ride
This is an advanced feature. The passengers would be able to schedule a ride for future dates and times.
Real-Time ETA
The passengers will get real-time ETA updates for a better journey.
Fare Estimation
Before the final booking, the user can check the fare charge on the basis of pickup location and destination.
Multiple Payment Options
The payment functionality of the app must be highly secure. It should also be user friendly. You must add multiple payment options for the user such as Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, Netbanking, etc.
Notification Alerts
The user will get timely alerts about new offers, promo codes, any updates etc through push notifications, e-mail, or messages.
Tracking Driver
The passengers would be able to track the location of the live location of the cab on a map.
In-app button for the passengers to issue an alert during an emergency situation
To acquire users initially, you must provide promo codes that passengers can use for lucrative discounts.
Referral Rewards
Referral policy is a great marketing strategy for any app. Give rewards to the users when they referred your app to their kith and kin.
Cancel Trip
It would be easier to cancel a trip however with applicable charges based on the app policies.
The users should be able to contact the driver through a phone call to coordinate a pickup.
Ride Ratings
The passengers can share feedback for their ride experience. They can give reviews and ratings to the driver.
Trip History
A log of all the rides that happened in past with their details
Favorite Location
Users can markup their regular or favorite location such as Home, Office, College, etc.
Book For Others:
Users would be able to book a ride for their friends & family and can send the ride details to them.
Help & Support
For any query, you must provide 24 x 7 support which is easier to reach.
Driver App
The drivers would be able to receive and accept a request for the ride from the users through the taxi driver app. It will offer a prompt, reliable, and safe driving service to the users. Let’s know the features:
Registration
As the drivers are also not techie, they must offer an easy to registration portal.
A driver can either be available for a ride or mark themselves offline anytime.
Real-Time Requests
Whenever a user will request for a ride the drivers will get notified along with pickup details.
Accept/Reject
The drivers have complete freedom to either accept or reject the rides in a particular time interval.
Drivers will get essential details about their customers for a smooth pick up and drop.
Navigation
In-built Google Maps Integration for best route and navigation.
The drivers can call passengers for a smooth pickup.
Start/End Trip
The drivers can start the trip after pickup and end the trip after dropping the passenger.
Earnings Tracking
Drivers can check their complete ride history and daily earnings on the app.
Driver Dashboard
There will be a dashboard for the driver where they will get useful stats and insight of their performance, earnings, ratings, etc.
Rate Customer
Just like a customer, drivers can also rate and review their customers. They can flag rude or bad customers.
Cancel Booking
The drivers will also have an option to canceling the booking only when it is necessary.
Admin & Dispatcher Panel
The admin & dispatcher panel is the backend of the app from where you would be able to control all the aspects of your taxi booking application. It will be packed with all the necessary features you may require such as:
Secure Login
The access to your admin panel must be highly secure from any modern browser.
Admin Dashboard
There will be a quick dashboard on the admin panel from where you will get all necessary stats and a summary of the app operations and performance.
Manage Drivers
The admin can add or remove drivers, review sign-up requests, set commission rates, etc.
Track Drivers
You would be able to check the fleet at any time and with their live location.
Manage Customers
Can check all the registered users along with their details.
Dispatchers Management
Add & manage operators & dispatchers for handling booking requests.
Manage Vehicles
Cars and vehicle information for better management.
Manage Categories
You can manage the type of cars you are offering such as prime, sedan, etc.
Manage charges
You can set the rate/unit distance, base fare as well as waiting & cancellation charges.
Reporting & Analytics
Insights on your business operations for smarter decision making
Heat Maps
Check the bookings over a heat map to understand in which region there is high demand and other insights.
Manage Refunds
If customers raise an appropriate query and ask for a refund, then you must be able to refund the amount.
SMS Alerts Settings
Enable/Disable SMS alerts for specific trip events for passengers and drivers.
Business Model Canvas of Uber:
Key Partners | |
| Drivers |
| Investors |
| Lobbyists or Supporters |
| Other Partners: |
| Specialized Technology Providers |
| Maps, GPS |
| Payment |
| Analytics |
| Specialized APIs |
| | |
| Key Activities | |
| Remove frictions from transactions |
| Scale beyond critical mass |
| | |
| Value Proposition | |
| For Drivers: | |
| Income Generation |
| Flexible Work Hours |
| No Boss |
| Easy to Join |
| | |
| For Customers: | |
| Fast Pick-ups |
| Lower Cost |
| Fare Estimation |
| Convenience |
| Easy Transactions |
| Rating System |
| | |
| Channels | |
| Social Media Channels |
| Word of Mouth |
| Local Campaigns |
| Media |
| Apps or App Stores |
| | |
| Customer Relationships | |
| To Drivers/Riders: Safe, Secure, and fair |
| Public: Communal or Social Footprint |
| | |
| Customer Segments | |
| Drivers |
| Demographic |
| Socio-economic |
| Micro-demographic |
| Behavioral |
| Situational |
| Customer |
| Usage Patterns |
| Type of Usage |
| Demographic |
| Socio-economic |
| Micro-demographic |
| | |
| Key Resources | |
| Network Effect |
| Data & Analytics |
| Apps, Architecture |
| Venture Capital |
| Brand |
| | |
| Cost Structure | |
| Uber pool driver cost |
| Legal and Settlement |
| Lobbying |
| Technology Development |
| Customer Acquisition Cost |
| | |
| Revenue Streams | |
| Revenue Model: Transaction Fees |
| Cost Saving To Taxis: |
| Asset Capital Cost |
| No License Fees |
| Employee Entitlements |
How much will it cost?
It is better to start developing a taxi booking app with an MVP. In an MVP, you will release a bunch of all the essential features. If you find a great response then you can include advanced features later on. The cost of the app will depend upon the features and functionalities you will include in the app. But if we include even essential features then the time frame can be nearly 740 hours. Here is the breakup:
| Feature | Estimation |
| Maps and Location | Geolocation: 32 hoursCreate a Ride: 35 hoursTrack a Ride: 73 hours |
| Payments | Payment Gateway Integration: 60 hoursAdd/Scan a Card: 40 hoursGet price: 14 hours |
| Profiles & Sign Up | Sign In & Out: 8 hoursRegistration/ Authorization through social media: 8 hoursThrough mail: 18 hoursThrough Phone Number: 32 hoursProfile Editing: 47 hours |
| Communication | Push Notification: 40 hoursSMS integration: 30 hours |
| Cost Calculating Algorithm | Nearly 300 hours |
| Total | 737+ hours |
Wrapping Up:
A taxi booking app can be a huge hit if developed properly. At Amplework, the best mobile application development company, we can provide you a taxi app solution which is offering features like automatic and manual dispatch, fleet management, real-time tracking, and much more. Let us know your requirements.
