GetTaxi has launched its mobile-based UK taxi ordering service today. The company, which already offers GetTaxi in Israel and plans to expand into much of Europe, enables smartphone owners to order a London taxi without speaking to anyone.
There’ll be a GetTaxi app available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Nokia users. Customers simply open the app, which locates their position via GPS. Tapping a button then send their request to the closest available taxi equipped with one of GetTaxi’s special in-car devices. When the driver accepts the booking, the customer is sent confirmation including the driver’s details, their estimated time of arrival and a map showing their real-time progress.
Neal Fullman, CEO of GetTaxi, said “GetTaxi is a long-awaited, fairer deal for businesses looking to use London black taxis. Our unique technology means we can provide a fast, reliable and extremely safe way to order a Black cab at a fraction of the cost charged by the traditional account services. It is estimated that businesses spent £100 million last year with the major account services, much of which was wasted on admin fees and handling charges to pay for expensive over-resourced operations centres. Our GPS technology avoids having a large staff base and call centres, so we are able to pass massive savings onto our business clients. We are signing up an average of 300 drivers per week, and are on track to exceed our target of 2000 drivers by the end of the year, offering a footprint of taxis in central London every bit as a widespread as the traditional taxi services.”
Business can also set up a GetTaxi account, enabling them to book a cab from a special web page.
| Back in November 2009 we spoke to Neal Fullman when he was Chief Marketing Officer at mobile VoIP service Nimbuzz. Click here to listen to the podcast. |