Whistle Taxi App

[watty]

Ya'll never beat the Irish! - http://www.whistletaxiapp.com/

[mercenary for hire]

Who's behind it?

[watty]

Dunno.  First saw the ad in that Taxi magazine (PDF) that you see floating around some taxi shops.  I presumed one of the 'unions'?

But solocheck says it's some guy (John Boyle) out in Ashbourne - http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891

[Rat Catcher]

John Boyle of White Dove Taxis Ltd which owns 50 odd plates.

http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891

Company Name:Whistle Taxi App Limited
Time in Business:8 Months
Company Number:593891
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[4932] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:Whistle Taxi App Ltd

Registered Address:
6 the Court,
Ashbourne Industrial Estate,
Ashbourne,
Co Meath

Directors
John Boyle CO MEATH

http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/White-Dove-Taxis-Limited-477443

Company Name:White Dove Taxi's Limited
Time in Business:7 Years
Company Number:477443
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[60.22] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:White Dove Taxi's Ltd

Registered Address:
86 Cluain Rí,
Ashbourne,
Co. Meath
A84 KP08

Directors
John Boyle   CO MEATH
Frances Comiskey DUBLIN 9

Best of luck to all involved, I hope it is run as a co-op.

[john m]

It has absolutely no chance of success a total waste of time and money .Why would a passenger use an app that charges full fare and a PUC ?For any counter app to work against Mytaxi it would require tens of millions invested in advertising and free giveaways.Only UBER or Lynk/NRC/Xpert combined could attempt to take on Mytaxi.

  For any app to get off the ground it will need drivers the same drivers will be running the Mytaxi app so why would passengers abandon Mytaxi if they are still providing a no PUC 5 minute waiting service .Another reason the PUC will never be reintroduced if Mytaxi bring back the PUC they only hand the possibility of PUC free apps to the opposition .

 So here is the most likely outcome UBER re enter the European taxi trade with a similar but different offer than Mytaxi possibly shorter free waiting a better quality app and no quibble scratch payment .Drivers run both apps the result More WORKCAPTURE then the freight is increased as passengers get App indoctrinated .

 Typical taxidriver Logic what we need is more of what we dont need .The more apps there are the more passengers will use them so less full fare street hails .Yee are becoming APPUNKIES ye cant get enough of them .

[mercenary for hire]

I've been told off the record that there might be some move on the PUC fron Mytaxi.Although I was told the same thing before the hailo/mytaxi changeover a year ago.

Uber isnt really a Mytaxi competitor in Ireland.I think that Mytaxi has lost the backing of enough drivers to make them worry about a bit of competition.Customers follow the drivers if they can't get a mytaxi.

[john m]

Merc I cant see Mytaxi reintroducing the PUC as it could then be used as a marketing tool by UBER or Lyft or any other taxi hail app that might enter the Irish market the drivers would like it back but Mytaxi is all about the customer .I do think if the ECJ rules against rideshare and they havent made a final ruling yet .Then UBER will not abandon Europe I think they will try to compete with Mytaxi with a taxi app .

  If or when UBER re enter the taxi hail market drivers will sign up  They have superior softwear no quibble scratch fees less waiting time and they have the brand to attract customers .The danger as I posted is customers get to use to using the app and wont street hail .I dropped off last night on Howth Road and got a Hailo job from a pub across the road from a full rank as the passenger didnt like crossing the road .

 Those small independent app have no chance of major success even the one promoted By Lar with the free to use credit card facility died on its arse .Mytaxi is a good app it works full time or part time I have no complaint with it you know the score if you work for them they will work for you become an Ambassador get more access its simple I might not like it but they are open and honest about how they operate .

[Rat Catcher]

Competition among app providers has to be a good thing for drivers. mytaxi abuses it’s current dominant position by forcing drivers to give discounts of up to 36%. There is no justification for discounting in the current economic climate. Remember when Hail0 first arrived in Ireland it was going to put all them mean and nasty Irish dispatch firms out of business and put an end to discounting. Ironically, mytaxi is now the only dispatch firm in Dublin enforcing discounts.

Without unity among taxi drivers it’ll be difficult for Whistle or any other firm to compete with any of the firms that are backed by motor manufacturers. From our experience with mytaxi we know that they will throw millions of euros at passengers to attract them to their offerings.  However, they also need drivers. If significant numbers of drivers abandon high commission discounting firms in favour of firms offering more attractive terms they will have to adapt. I remember driving a German passenger from DAP to Howth back in 2014 who couldn’t get over how much commission I was paying for the privilege of driving her. As posted on Roy’s at the time she told me German drivers pay 69 or 79 cent per job… a few years down the road and the dots are joined, those German drivers were working for mytaxi which now charges us 12% and aspires to introducing variable commission rates of up to 30%!

I like the way Whistle is being marketed i.e. as a revolution with a changeover date on which drivers will take back control of their trade. I’m not sure about it’s corporate structure and a few other bits and pieces seem contradictory but I wish it every success. A taxi firm that’s interest lies in dispatching taxis might be a step backwards but it’s a welcome one IMO.

[mercenary for hire]

The only thing stopping them bringing in the PUC are the lads covering the work without it.Any driver willingly covering discounts is part of the problem.I cover a  very small bit but I know former Xpert/global/vip drivers who are mytaxi ambassadors now covering 100 plus jobs a week on the app.

I mentioned before one renter who claimed hailo has changed his life.Bleeding cabbage could have a better life tommorow if he wasn't renting.Plates are almost free.No excuse for not getting yer own heap.

[Wingnut]

Reading the Taxi Magazine above, every taxi company advertising are looking for drivers and are offering full pick up charge and no free waiting time. If Mytaxi were to offer the same they would attract all the drivers they need for market dominance, if all the drivers are on their system why would passengers go anywhere else?

[Rat Catcher]

Another interesting piece from the magazine's editorial... noting that mytaxi is one of their advertisers

… when we read a fantastic Q&A with the company online via reporter Jessica Kelly we simply had to share it with you. It is a truly fascinating insight into the oblivious mind of MyTaxi, who seem so very out of touch with both driver and customer concerns at the moment that they are surely losing custom, and drivers, daily.

Still, I guess they can count on the erm's loyalty... oh wait, didn't he say he'd bankrupt the cunts a few days ago!

[john m]

Another interesting piece from the magazine's editorial... noting that mytaxi is one of their advertisers

… when we read a fantastic Q&A with the company online via reporter Jessica Kelly we simply had to share it with you. It is a truly fascinating insight into the oblivious mind of MyTaxi, who seem so very out of touch with both driver and customer concerns at the moment that they are surely losing custom, and drivers, daily.

Still, I guess they can count on the erm's loyalty... oh wait, didn't he say he'd bankrupt the cunts a few days ago!

Rodent if there was a real alternative to my taxi I would gladly promote and work for them but there is not and unless UBER or all the Irish Dispatchers unite there wont be simple as .Look at some of the Gobshites in this job .I wont name names but lads are running a local CoOp doing ok paying 60 a week .Our kid used to use them but stopped as when she rang they never had cabs available so she uses Mytaxi and the same branded Co Op cars that were not available to pick her up with PUC and full fare that they had already paid freight for turn up to cover the Mytaxi job .Lads paying freight then paying more commission to compete against themselves .

 

[Wingnut]

I done a 3 car job in Swords last night and the other 2 cars that turned up were Dial a Cab and a Cab2000, the chap that ordered the cars had them on his account so all 3 were definitely on the mytaxi app. Can't understand paying for a radio and also paying mytaxi aswell, makes no sense.

[Rat Catcher]

If financing is the question a unification of Irish dispatch firms isn't the answer, erm. Compared to the mite of Daimler (mytaxi), VAG (Gett), GM (Lyft), Uber/Toyota/etc such a consortium would be akin to a corner shop taking on Tesco. Organising drivers to rebel against the corporate assault on their trade would have a much better chance of success as drivers are key to serving passengers. Drivers won't support Vinny, Noel, Anthony et al, FFS they supported Hail0 to put those guys out of business and they hate Uber nearly as much as they hate the paddies! A fresh approach such as that promoted by Whistle, taking the trade back to basics, may be the way to go.

[john m]

I like the way Whistle is being marketed i.e. as a revolution with a changeover date on which drivers will take back control of their trade. I’m not sure about it’s corporate structure and a few other bits and pieces seem contradictory but I wish it every success. A taxi firm that’s interest lies in dispatching taxis might be a step backwards but it’s a welcome one IMO.


  Where do they get the customers ?Unless they can organize a mass Mytaxi /Lynk app turn off its little more that another website talking point .You remember when I schooled Bill Cullens mate when thought he was going to arrive like the Massiah of taxi world add in the lads that gave you anr roy a good feed .Unless you have at least 10 million to launch it it will fail and if it does get up and running drivers will complain that yer man is getting more than me off it ,its like all the rest of the fucking apps .If I had the money or the time needed to develop an app Id build houses there is huge demand and better returns .Nobody in their right mind would want to deal with belligerent taxi drivers .