The Perfect Taxi App

[Rat Catcher]

Forgot to ask for a panic button. Ideally bluetooth so the driver can mount it out of sight and doesn't have to reach for his phone to activate. Simple system to exploit safety in numbers, akin to the old flashing roof sign. When pressed all drivers in the area get an alert showing last known location. I might be able to get you a loan of a bluetooth button if Hal still has it! As a practical tool for drivers it could be a good USP to encourage adoption of the app.

[Shallowhal]

Yeah...still have it!!

[Belker]

Lads I am preparing a driver survey to publish on website,facebook page etc.

The topic is the ideal taxi app (for drivers).

Any suggestions on what taxi drivers should be asked in trying to identify what a driver wants out of an app and what would make them join/support it would be appreciated.

@ 'U Wha'.
Do you realise what you are dealing with in trying to unite Irish taxi drivers ?

My old adage which I have spelt out a few times before;
What would happen if the NTA decided tomorrow to give every taxi driver
in Ireland a 1,000Euro Bonus ?


The Answer; There would be WAR !
The critics being every Taxi driver.

"Why is he getting the same as me n I've been at it Thirty years !"
"Why is he getting the same as me and I'm born in this country !"
"Why he he getting the same as me, And, And, Etc.....

There is No pleasing Taxi drivers, don't bother your time trying.
Try John M's "Prossie" app or maybe try a more legal D.ominatrix App.

[john m]

Forgot to ask for a panic button. Ideally bluetooth so the driver can mount it out of sight and doesn't have to reach for his phone to activate. Simple system to exploit safety in numbers, akin to the old flashing roof sign. When pressed all drivers in the area get an alert showing last known location. I might be able to get you a loan of a bluetooth button if Hal still has it! As a practical tool for drivers it could be a good USP to encourage adoption of the app.

 Who the fuck would answer the panic button .

[Rat Catcher]

There's still some good guys out there. The flashing roof sign worked very well, why the unions allowed it to disappear is beyond me. The only problem is that you need to get through to drivers that it is for emergencies, not because you're short of change or because a student pukes, etc...

[U Wha]

Personally, I'd keep it as simple as:

- Simple, intuitive UI.
- Google Maps based.
- Full fare.
- Max 2 mins free waiting time, no free waiting time for pub/disco pick ups.
- Set price per job - not commission based.
- Maximum weekly freight i.e. capped.

Cheers Rats, i will post the survey up here next or so, have to go through a process in college with it first.

[U Wha]

Lads I am preparing a driver survey to publish on website,facebook page etc.

The topic is the ideal taxi app (for drivers).

Any suggestions on what taxi drivers should be asked in trying to identify what a driver wants out of an app and what would make them join/support it would be appreciated.

@ 'U Wha'.
Do you realise what you are dealing with in trying to unite Irish taxi drivers ?

My old adage which I have spelt out a few times before;
What would happen if the NTA decided tomorrow to give every taxi driver
in Ireland a 1,000Euro Bonus ?


The Answer; There would be WAR !
The critics being every Taxi driver.

"Why is he getting the same as me n I've been at it Thirty years !"
"Why is he getting the same as me and I'm born in this country !"
"Why he he getting the same as me, And, And, Etc.....

There is No pleasing Taxi drivers, don't bother your time trying.
Try John M's "Prossie" app or maybe try a more legal D.ominatrix App.

Thanks Belker, I may well look at john m's prossie proposal another time but don't think it would go down too well with my lecturers.

Even if it goes no where it won't waste my time as it helps me get my degree.

Your are both right though, another student pointed out that it would be impossible to create a perfect app for drivers as every one has their own interpretation of what is perfect.

So I will have to rethink how to describe an app that would appeal broadly to taxi drivers.

What would entice a drivers to work an app when the streets are busy or otherwise have loyalty to such an app, Some sort of ownership.
A co-op or a commercial entity with driver shares.

Regarding funding, hard one alright. Driver support is key, No big marketing budget required if drivers supported it and left the other apps.

That would create a double barreled effect, the other apps would soon fail with no driver support and customers would move to the app that got them a cab.

there is enough start up funding in grants etc, especially for a tech business, to get a basic but functional app up and running, if drivers supported it it could be updated and improved as begins to make money. At that point further funding/grants would be available to get it up to the level that John m mentioned. Driver support is key, that support can come if drivers feel they have ownership and a say that is equal, open and transparent.

An example of a structure would be PDFORRA (Army Representative Association) or modern Credit unions . National committee or Board of Directors with driver representation. These voluntary reps may be elected from regions. The National committee appoints a competent (non taxi) CEO who implements the National Committee policy on behalf of the national committee and would run the day to day app operation.

[U Wha]

If this app got legs, as a entrepreneur student,

I would have access to mentors, consultants, start up grants etc.

Free and/or cheap access to the Media Cube, a tech hub on the IADT campus.

Access to other students from different creative and tech course run at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire who would work on the design and development of the app very cheaply or for free with pizza. Especially if  the app helped them with their own assignments, portfolio's and CV's. ( Trinitys tudents, now a dentist designed Ryanair's first website. https://www.seapointclinic.ie/about/meet-the-team/dr-tom-linehan )

So nothing to lose except the opportunity to do it. I am genuinely doing this from a drivers point of view, if it works I get to work with an app that I helped start and it will be great on my CV.

If the contributors on this forum want to be part of it great, because I think you lads know your industry. I need to draw on your knowledge to make it happen.

[Shallowhal]

What would entice a drivers to work an app when the streets are busy or otherwise have loyalty to such an app, Some sort of ownership.
A co-op or a commercial entity with driver shares

Bonuses...and lots of them....asks Rats,Belker and all the other bonus chasers!!

[U Wha]

What would entice a drivers to work an app when the streets are busy or otherwise have loyalty to such an app, Some sort of ownership.
A co-op or a commercial entity with driver shares

Bonuses...and lots of them....asks Rats,Belker and all the other bonus chasers!!

I agree, I get the odd one myself when I work the app. It is short term though, that cash won't last for ever. When it runs out, a competitor App could do the same and there goes any mytaxi loyalty.

Would ownership, a voice (industry) and a dividend /return work?
 

[Shallowhal]

Taxi drivers and loyalty are rarely mentioned in the same breath.

[U Wha]

Taxi drivers and loyalty are rarely mentioned in the same breath.

and that's why the mytaxi bonuses won't work, 'eaten bread is soon forgotten' as an ould Mayo associate of mine once told me. No loyalty.

If you could crack the key to loyalty then you wouldn't need the millions that erm esposed to.

An app that is transparent, charges less or equal to competition, taxi drivers have a say in how it operates and profits are returned to drivers, invested in industry representation or a taxi driver benevolent fund.

[john m]

Taxi drivers and loyalty are rarely mentioned in the same breath.

and that's why the mytaxi bonuses won't work, 'eaten bread is soon forgotten' as an ould Mayo associate of mine once told me. No loyalty.

If you could crack the key to loyalty then you wouldn't need the millions that erm esposed to.

An app that is transparent, charges less or equal to competition, taxi drivers have a say in how it operates and profits are returned to drivers, invested in industry representation or a taxi driver benevolent fund.

As I said I think like an economist .Dont take this to heart .If you are studying computer science then develop your app but what you have just posted  is a marketing assumption you say profits will be returned to drivers if there are profits  .Then you add a deceptive creation where you say or  invest in industry representation or a driver benevolent fund .Both suggestions suggest you want to use your app to influence or control some part of the industry  so your transparency ethos is questionable .Would your so called representatives represent all of the industry or just those who use your app and contribute to the reps wages or will the benevolent fund only apply to users of your app .If you are doing computer science then develop the app but if you are doing business and think a taxi app without millions to back it up is going to work think again .In fact there is no need to develop a taxi app there are plenty available that can be rented to use as a platform for your Utopian business .Read the treads on here full pick up charge full fares and 100s of euro in bonus payments and still drivers complain .You say you drive a taxi you probably find comfort in working in a field that is familiar to you but just go into the app store and see how many taxi apps there are available ,seriously I dont see any possibility of commercial success unless you have deep pockets to launch and market it .

[U Wha]

Taxi drivers and loyalty are rarely mentioned in the same breath.

and that's why the mytaxi bonuses won't work, 'eaten bread is soon forgotten' as an ould Mayo associate of mine once told me. No loyalty.

If you could crack the key to loyalty then you wouldn't need the millions that erm esposed to.

An app that is transparent, charges less or equal to competition, taxi drivers have a say in how it operates and profits are returned to drivers, invested in industry representation or a taxi driver benevolent fund.

As I said I think like an economist .Dont take this to heart .If you are studying computer science then develop your app but what you have just posted  is a marketing assumption you say profits will be returned to drivers if there are profits  .Then you add a deceptive creation where you say or  invest in industry representation or a driver benevolent fund .Both suggestions suggest you want to use your app to influence or control some part of the industry  so your transparency ethos is questionable .Would your so called representatives represent all of the industry or just those who use your app and contribute to the reps wages or will the benevolent fund only apply to users of your app .If you are doing computer science then develop the app but if you are doing business and think a taxi app without millions to back it up is going to work think again .In fact there is no need to develop a taxi app there are plenty available that can be rented to use as a platform for your Utopian business .Read the treads on here full pick up charge full fares and 100s of euro in bonus payments and still drivers complain .You say you drive a taxi you probably find comfort in working in a field that is familiar to you but just go into the app store and see how many taxi apps there are available ,seriously I dont see any possibility of commercial success unless you have deep pockets to launch and market it .

Absolutely not taking it to heart, been around the block a few times at this stage. But what cynical paranoid thinking on your part, where did i say "I" would use profits to do or influence anything. Lets be clear I don't want to own it or run it. It's a college assignment that might just work, my piece is the degree and a mention on a CV that I had a part in the apps development and I might get a good job elsewhere on the back of it.

I suggested that the app and whatever corporate structure it may have could use the profits (if any) for the betterment of taxi drivers.

What proportion of taxi drivers it would or could represent or benefit would be up to drivers through a vote or by voluntary reps at an AGM.

From the start I have stated that the app would be completely owned or at least controlled (51% ) by drivers.

I  suggested that it would be run by a national committee elected by drivers and that committee would appoint a competent (track record) non taxi driver CEO to oversee day to day operations. Where is my the me or I in that.

Utopian is an ideal that rarely survives the real world but that doesn't mean it couldn't work. You obviously only read the part of posts that you can pick at. As explained in previous posts It wouldn't need huge or deep pockets to get up and running,  just taxi driver support and transparency is the key to that.

[U Wha]

Just think, if I had a part in unifying Irish taxi drivers in any fashion by joining or supporting a taxi App owned by taxi Drivers, I would get a job as an innovator and problem solver anywhere.

Also part of the degree is social entrepreneurship, innovating or creating a business that contributes to society or part of it.

Flag, nail and mast!