Third party taxi booking app scene welcomes new entrant
24 Jan 2015|2,499 views
The Straits Times reported that another taxi app has been launched for the Singapore market - making it the sixth to appear here in the past three years. However, the new app, called Network Uncle, is slightly different from current apps such as GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi.
Unlike these apps, which allow commuters to make bookings through the app, Network Uncle does not facilitate bookings. Instead, the app allows a passenger to broadcast his location to cabbies within a 3km radius. Cabbies who are logged on to the app will receive a notification on their mobile device pinpointing where the passenger is. If they indicate on the app that they want to pick up the passenger, the cabby's licence plate and smartphone numbers will be sent to the passenger.
While no booking fee is collected, passengers have to pay $24 a year. This entitles them to an unlimited number of taxi requests. But in a trial, use of the app will be free for the next few months.
Network Uncle is currently available for Android devices, with an iOS version on the way. Mr. Loh hopes to have 5,000 drivers on the app by March. So far only 60 have downloaded it since its Jan 8 launch. There are about 50,000 active taxi drivers. He said there are plans to have an e-commerce service, in which passengers can obtain discount codes from taxi drivers.
The Straits Times reported that another taxi app has been launched for the Singapore market - making it the sixth to appear here in the past three years. However, the new app, called Network Uncle, is slightly different from current apps such as GrabTaxi and Easy Taxi.
Unlike these apps, which allow commuters to make bookings through the app, Network Uncle does not facilitate bookings. Instead, the app allows a passenger to broadcast his location to cabbies within a 3km radius. Cabbies who are logged on to the app will receive a notification on their mobile device pinpointing where the passenger is. If they indicate on the app that they want to pick up the passenger, the cabby's licence plate and smartphone numbers will be sent to the passenger.
While no booking fee is collected, passengers have to pay $24 a year. This entitles them to an unlimited number of taxi requests. But in a trial, use of the app will be free for the next few months.
Network Uncle is currently available for Android devices, with an iOS version on the way. Mr. Loh hopes to have 5,000 drivers on the app by March. So far only 60 have downloaded it since its Jan 8 launch. There are about 50,000 active taxi drivers. He said there are plans to have an e-commerce service, in which passengers can obtain discount codes from taxi drivers.
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