The Perfect Taxi App

[Rat Catcher]

Tried to contact John Boyle the Whistle Taxi App Promoter and Director of White Dove Taxis Ltd for research ...

All queries unresponsive so far

Maybe he's on his Autumn break.

I've heard nothing about it since someone posted a video on here a while back, the video suggested that drivers would be secretly invited to invest €50 at a later date, dunno if that ever happened.

All content has been removed from it's website (presumably under redevelopment):

http://www.whistletaxiapp.com

[Shallowhal]

I'd say if you did invest a bullseye....you can whistle for it!!

[U Wha]

Who do taxi drivers trust?

Rather than try to prove the merits of a taxi driver app to every driver, is there any person/organisation/association/body that drivers would trust.

If they were to confirm the merits, viability and credibility of the proposed app.

[Rat Catcher]

If the merits/structure is clearly defined it'll be self-explanatory. The problem with Whistle is the same paranoia that the unions frequently suffer. Everything had to be secret so nobody could be given the facts because the competition might find out! Unfortunately without the facts I, for one, can't justify parting with hard earned.

[U Wha]

If the merits/structure is clearly defined it'll be self-explanatory. The problem with Whistle is the same paranoia that the unions frequently suffer. Everything had to be secret so nobody could be given the facts because the competition might find out! Unfortunately without the facts I, for one, can't justify parting with hard earned.

Thanks Rats, I sorta felt that way about it.

Hopefully I will deliver a clearly defined structure with merits as that is the key to the apps success.

Doesn't need to be secretive, if someone else wants to create a driver owned app then fair play, but I don't see that happening, if it does, I will join.

Don't think any of the existing apps will change their business model to driver owned and whistle appears to be all hush hush. Love to see what the whistle structure is.

Had a workshop in college with a business development mentor. They spoke about credibility and that it is easier to get were you need to be if you partner with a trusted organisation body, in fairness he was talking about the tech innovation space.

Innovation is introducing something new to what already exists. So the eircab app is tech and innovative as drivers would have ownership, that is something new! Gotta prove to taxi drivers that the Eircab app concept is credible.

From a legal structure point of view I was thinking that a PLC might be the way to go. Drivers can opt for 100% ownership from day one, but that would mean investing something.

This could be facilitated through Crowd funding were you have a target amount and/or minimum number of drivers to be committed by a certain date. The  crowd funding organisation will hold the funds until the target is met, if the target is not met they return the funds less a small admin fee.

https://fundit.ie/info/about/


I will be learning about other funding options in college workshops over the next two weeks.

http://www.mediacube.ie/2017/10/start-up-bootcamp-at-the-media-cube/


One of the workshops that I have already attended was facilitated by John McMahon, a Director with  Enterprise Ireland and formerly of Forum 21 in the UK.
He explained that funding and investment people evaluate business proposals on a matrix (not a business plan or projections).
Based on what I have learnt so far the app idea would tick the boxes on the matrix if put together the right way.
One of the keys is route to market (getting the drivers on board).

https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/About-Us/Our-People/board/John-McMahon.html

http://www.forum21.co.uk/johnmcmahon.htm


When i mention funding or investors, I just want to clarify,  these type of investors don't want to own the business, they want a quick turnaround and return on their money. So if the drivers don't want to fund it themselves then it is an option, all drivers have to do is join and support the app.

If drivers self fund 100% then happy days, no need for investors. It will only need enough funding (where ever it comes from) to get it to critical mass, then the commission will fund the business. Any profit will go back to drivers.

Eircab doesn't need to have mytaxi type budgets, if drivers leave mytaxi and join their own app, customers will use the app that has taxis available, wouldn't make sense for eircab app drivers to continue supporting mytaxi et al because the profits in Eircab belongs to the drivers.

Bye Bye Competition! Here comes... http://www.eircab.com/

[Belker]

Who do taxi drivers trust?

Rather than try to prove the merits of a taxi driver app to every driver, is there any person/organisation/association/body that drivers would trust.

If they were to confirm the merits, viability and credibility of the proposed app.

Taxi drivers trust no one and there is good reason fer that.
In our game everyone is out to make a wage, be it the sole trader taxi driver, the MPO, the taxi base or the multinational app company, the Bottom line with all of the above is to make a profit because if ya don't make a profit then you don't survive.

My own mate/colleague 'cut me dead' while attempting to U-turn on to a Cork taxi rank last Sunday night,
he got his fare ahead of me, Two students with food and drink in hand probably going to College road fer about 8Euro.
I got the next fare off the rank 'Whitegate' 65Euro !!

[Rat Catcher]

The multinationals don't have a profit requirement. Market penetration is what interests them as they seek to secure a place in the future of the motor industry. The way things are developing is remarkably similar to the clever phone business. Cars will be likely to have intel inside (hum the jingle) with enhanced cooperation between manufacturers along the lines of the Open Handset Alliance which Google will manipulate until we're all being transported in Nexuseses.

[U Wha]

I have to use survey results for my college research module.

Please complete the taxi survey if you have time and it would be great if you asked one or two other taxi drivers to complete it to.

I need a minimum of 50 contributors, but the more that take the survey the better the results will be.

I will share the results on the forum when it is finished.

Thanks

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBCN9JT

[U Wha]

Lads, For feck's sake, wake up and smell the coffee, and if you have already, what the fuck!

Business is good now, but no guarantees for tomorrow, economy, brexit, competition and technology that disrupts can change that at a whim.

None of us can guarantee we can make payments beyond a few months, how can you predict or plan for anything, no security.

Worse than that, there is a huge threat to our game hurtling down the track towards us, worse than taxi companies or apps dipping into your wallet, technology and robotics that will replace human drivers.

Are we all thinking we will retire before it happens, We may be taxi drivers for longer than we expect to be and the changes are upon us even at that.

But here we are La, La, Uber this and MyTaxi that, grovelling for the bonuses.

I would have more respect for slaves in a cotton field, at least they knew what they were.

John M and others with their huge philosophical and economical views.

Instead of ripping the shite out of everything, if you are that well informed, then get up off your arse's and make a difference, do youse want to go to the grave with the epitaph, "I got the last word and the best fare".

Are we that shallow and short sighted, I am alright jack? If we are, then maybe we deserve what is definitely coming for taxi drivers, Annihilation!
 
What are we going to do about it?

Their is an alternative! Secure your own future and livelihood and make a difference for taxi drivers.

eircab has the chance to allow drivers take control of their industry.

eircab is a word that expresses an ideal, like love or god, it describes something, it belongs to no one taxi driver, it belongs to every taxi driver.
I attend to it at the moment, we all own it.

 www.eircab.ie   

www.eircab.com

[Korky]

Lads, For feck's sake, wake up and smell the coffee, and if you have already, what the fuck!

Business is good now, but no guarantees for tomorrow, economy, brexit, competition and technology that disrupts can change that at a whim.

None of us can guarantee we can make payments beyond a few months, how can you predict or plan for anything, no security.

Worse than that, there is a huge threat to our game hurtling down the track towards us, worse than taxi companies or apps dipping into your wallet, technology and robotics that will replace human drivers.

Are we all thinking we will retire before it happens, We may be taxi drivers for longer than we expect to be and the changes are upon us even at that.

But here we are La, La, Uber this and MyTaxi that, grovelling for the bonuses.

I would have more respect for slaves in a cotton field, at least they knew what they were.

John M and others with their huge philosophical and economical views.

Instead of ripping the shite out of everything, if you are that well informed, then get up off your arse's and make a difference, do youse want to go to the grave with the epitaph, "I got the last word and the best fare".

Are we that shallow and short sighted, I am alright jack? If we are, then maybe we deserve what is definitely coming for taxi drivers, Annihilation!
 
What are we going to do about it?

Their is an alternative! Secure your own future and livelihood and make a difference for taxi drivers.

eircab has the chance to allow drivers take control of their industry.

eircab is a word that expresses an ideal, like love or god, it describes something, it belongs to no one taxi driver, it belongs to every taxi driver.
I attend to it at the moment, we all own it.

 www.eircab.ie   

www.eircab.com

Ffs , 

[Jack Meoff]

Your even sounding like a taxi driver now.

[Belker]

Lads, For feck's sake, wake up and smell the coffee, and if you have already, what the fuck!

Business is good now, but no guarantees for tomorrow, economy, brexit, competition and technology that disrupts can change that at a whim.

None of us can guarantee we can make payments beyond a few months, how can you predict or plan for anything, no security.

Worse than that, there is a huge threat to our game hurtling down the track towards us, worse than taxi companies or apps dipping into your wallet, technology and robotics that will replace human drivers.

Are we all thinking we will retire before it happens, We may be taxi drivers for longer than we expect to be and the changes are upon us even at that.

But here we are La, La, Uber this and MyTaxi that, grovelling for the bonuses.

I would have more respect for slaves in a cotton field, at least they knew what they were.

John M and others with their huge philosophical and economical views.

Instead of ripping the shite out of everything, if you are that well informed, then get up off your arse's and make a difference, do youse want to go to the grave with the epitaph, "I got the last word and the best fare".

Are we that shallow and short sighted, I am alright jack? If we are, then maybe we deserve what is definitely coming for taxi drivers, Annihilation!
 
What are we going to do about it?

Their is an alternative! Secure your own future and livelihood and make a difference for taxi drivers.

eircab has the chance to allow drivers take control of their industry.

eircab is a word that expresses an ideal, like love or god, it describes something, it belongs to no one taxi driver, it belongs to every taxi driver.
I attend to it at the moment, we all own it.

 www.eircab.ie   

www.eircab.com

I'm thinking this post was inspired by MMDA, maybe Ketamin, but defo something stronger than hash or alcohol.

[U Wha]

I'm thinking this post was inspired by MMDA, maybe Ketamin, but defo something stronger than hash or alcohol.
[/quote]

Ha Ha unfortunately not, 2 cans of carlsberg with a chinese after work. Some of the drugs might have calmed me down. What got me wound up was a film I watched, the big short. That shit winds me right up. Banks and insurance companies get away with everything, while the ordinary joe pays for it.

I am genuinely worried at the pace of progress with the tech companies and car makers, don't know if there is enough time for drivers to get something going and make a difference.

[Belker]

Defo MMDA !

[Rat Catcher]

You can't halt progress. Technology has revolutionised many a trade and it will significantly impact ours in due course. If the objective is to obstruct the multinationals it's a futile exercise. If the objective is to partner with them it's hard to justify as long as mytaxi continues to work with drivers.