I put forward my Solution A Sillouette of a Person hailing a Can with the slogan Hail a Taxi on the Bonnett and door stickers Cash or Card .A lot of Tourists and Foreigners and younger travellers do not know you can Hail a Taxi they think you must App or go to rank ..Drivers should be trying to win back Travellers from ALL appa .I had an offer 8.60 from Santry hotel to terminal 2 before 8AM yesterday morning a few cents above the tarriff and the Pickup so about 20c for the journey .
That was never a runner. Both drivers and riders like the convenience and value added that the apps deliver. There's no doubt that apps have increased our potential productivity. In my case I frequently get app jobs from counties within which I am not licenced to ply for hire which is something no traditional depot could offer on a reasonably consistent basis.
As far as the commercial apps go, riders trust Uber, Lyft and Bolt a lot more than they might trust a random cab driver on the street or at a rank, often with good reason. In fact, let me bore you with my own recent experience in Pest:
I hired a taxi from a rank. The driver looked at my desto on my phone and said that'll be 8,000Ft or €20. Ok, well do €20 says I and off we go. I then looked at Bolt who estimated the fare at 2,500-3,000 or similar so I decided to read aloud the passenger info card attached to the headrest in the taxi. It was remarkably similar to ours (and in English for the tourists) advising that the rider is entitled to a fare calculated by the taximeter and is entitled to a printed receipt from said meter and advising that the driver is legally obliged to accept card payments.
Next the driver asks if I can pay cash so I say no. He says his card machine is playing up which I suggest is his problem not mine. So we get to the desto, he plays with his machinery then says "is 3550, not 8000" to which I say that seems fair, do you want €10 cash then... He's says, no maybe if you give me tip .. I say the tenner on offer includes a tip which I suggest is rather generous given that he tried to rob me... He still doesn't want my used ten euro note so I pay by card, we both have a bit of a chuckle, shake hands and part friends. Revolut converted the fare to €9.32.
Interestingly I noticed that both the receipt from his meter and the card receipt had his licence number printed on them and the name and address of the firm (not Bolt) he presumably works for... although he had a Bolt roof sign. Maybe they figure there's a better chance of getting caught robbing on card payments for that reason... although, to be honest, if he had taken the 8,000 by card I woulda asked for the receipt alright but I wouldn't have been arsed complaining so he woulda got away with it.
Also, we took a booze cruise on the Danube another evening, also in Pest. At the end they announced that they strongly advise against hiring taxis on the river bank and recommend using either Uber or Bolt for your security, comfort and safety.
