The concept of booking rides online through an app wasn’t exactly new. But Uber packaged it seamlessly, tapping into our growing desire for convenience and instant gratification. With a few clicks, your customers can hail a taxi to travel directly to their doorstep. Uber came to the world in 2009.
With people’s hunger for convenience and technological advancement, the US and Canada-based ride-sharing company launched Lyft in 2012. The founders initially founded Zimride – a carpooling service for long-distance trips. They then introduced Lyft, which offered ride-sharing services for shorter trips.
As you may know, Uber was the first company to launch an online taxi booking app, and over time, Uber-like apps have entered the market.
What is a Taxi Booking App Like Uber?
Uber is a multinational transportation company headquartered in San Francisco, California. With operations in over 700 cities worldwide, Uber has become a household name. The company’s premium ride-hailing service allows users to request a car with the click of a button and pay automatically through the app. In addition to traditional rides, Uber also offers car-sharing, premium rides, airport rides, pet-friendly rides, etc.
The future of the taxi booking industry faces challenges that can be solved with apps like Uber. Apart from being a safe alternative, the shared platform offers a wide range of features to the audience and the driver. Their main goal is to make their lives easier without any hassle.
Unique Features of an App Like Uber
Let’s see what features your Uber-like apps should have to attract more customers than usual. This might give you an idea of their stronghold in the taxi-hailing industry.
Two-Wheeler Rides
Reliable reports suggest that the taxi market in the US alone will generate billions in revenue. It is worth noting that these are combined statistics for just one country; there are 195 countries in the world! It also includes those areas where cars are not driven at all because it is possible.
Tuk-tuk or two-wheeler driving is their predominant transportation practice and is also a part of their culture. Speaking of Tuk-Tuk, it is a three-wheeled rickshaw, which is the local name for it, and it is a comfortable ride.
It is synonymous with comfort, convenience, and instant results. It is not just an emergency resort when passengers are rushing to the hospital, but when best friends want to meet up. Just for example!
Multi-Stop Over Points
The situation is ripe to introduce the multi-stop feature of this amazing app! The rider enters a single destination but pauses the ride multiple times in between to run errands. When the ride is paused, the user gets out, shops for a short period, and comes back. The ride resumes, and that is how all the errands the rider had in mind are completed and the destination is reached. One could also call it multiple intermediate points!
As mentioned earlier, Uber laid the foundation for today’s taxi-hailing industry. You should think about how long it would take to implement all these features in a set of three different apps. Well, the short answer is at least a year. That involves a lot of testing and changes before it is finally released to the public. But there is a catch.
What is a Ride-Sharing App like Lyft?
Lyft has a solid reputation in the ride-sharing space by offering a series of groundbreaking features. Each one of them is unique and exceptional to the point that riders have now turned into full-time, loyal, active customers. But the great thing about this platform is its ability to generate revenue! This statement is no exaggeration, as the entrepreneurs who have invested in it are busy making billions of dollars.
Secret Features for App like Lyft to be Successful
Book a Ride in Advance
The Uber-like app is a great platform that makes it easy for users to schedule passengers for later so that they can have peace of mind. This is definitely a well-designed feature that allows the user to book a cab for a specific time in the near future. It removes the unwanted stress that comes over the user when there is no cab in sight. This usually happens when there is heavy rain, a natural disaster, or chaotic traffic. Then there are the times when there are no cabs available at 2 am. Hence, to avoid minor panic attacks or unnecessary anxiety, this feature is seen as a real boon. Again, cash is accepted as a means of payment here!
Luxury Intercity Tours
Speaking of travel, users now have the luxury of logging into the app and booking intercity rides. They can do so by simply selecting a city from the drop-down list of nearby cities. After that, they have to pay a fixed amount, which is calculated based on the distance between the two chosen cities. Cabs can be chosen that suit the user’s travel date and time. Online payment methods like in-app wallets and integrated credit cards are also accepted here.
Taxi Sharing
The Uber-like app and its Share Rides feature are of immense importance as they are the most popular feature. What does it do? The algorithm of the app is designed in such a way that all the passengers whose destinations are close to each other are put together. So, more than one passenger gathers together to share a cab that is traveling on the same route. Riders absolutely love this feature as it is easy on their wallets, not only because the drivers save a lot of time in fuel consumption. Usually, drivers have to move in all directions, take turns, and even go in the opposite direction to work. Driving Status
The driver must reach the exact pick-up location of the rider before they can update their ride status. This feature allows the rider to take full advantage of the ride-booking feature on your platform.
Create a Ready-Made App like Uber
So far, you have understood the features and definitions of Uber and Lyft. How about starting your own taxi booking app, which is similar to Uber? Having your fleet or tracking every penny your drivers spend is definitely a good option. If you are thinking of hiring people, stop here. Moreover, you can save money and invest in a ready-made app that is similar to Uber.
Benefits of Ready-Made Taxi Booking Apps like Uber
Ready-made apps like Uber are built with features similar to those of Uber. They are capable of running your entire taxi-hailing business with ease. You can also launch your Uber-like apps in just a week or two since they are already loaded with features. Moreover, ready-made Uber-like apps come with additional features that can be game-changers for a longer period. These additional features include:
Adding Cost
Many countries do not have tolls. This is due to fluctuations in the amount the customer actually pays. Depending on the toll and location, your driver may retain or pay these additional fees. These fees are automatically added to the passenger’s fare bill once confirmed.
One-Time Password Verification
Before the trip begins, the driver must verify the customer. As a result, with the correct OTP, the trip can begin. Not only does OTP consolidate the trip, but it also gives your company a more professional look.
Face ID/Fingerprint Login
Just like the other features, this feature is also available for driver and passenger apps. Using Face ID and fingerprint login, the easy login process allows taxi companies like Uber to collect more customers.
Video Calling
In-app calls have evolved into video calls, shaping the future of the taxi-hailing industry into a more profitable one. With this feature, passengers and drivers can video call each other whenever needed.
More Features for Your Taxi Booking App Similar to Uber
Multi-option availability to choose a car and pick-up location
- GPS tracking
- Fare calculation beforehand
- Ride confirmation or cancellation notification
- Push notifications
- In-app chat/payments
- Driver rating
- Customer support
- Book for others
- Travel history
- Coupons and Discounts
- In-app chat
- Passenger rating
- Heat maps
Conclusion
No matter what kind of ride-sharing clone app you develop, a broader service offering that suits your customers’ preferences is required. Your app will be able to attract more customers when they find your app engaging in every sense of the word.
If you want to develop a taxi booking app like Uber for your business, discuss your business ideas with an experienced company. They are experienced and up-to-date with the latest trends and hence will provide a genuine recommendation. Contact a white-label development company to start implementing your business idea.
Rawat