Do you have a taxi business? Maybe you work as a taxi driver and are thinking of taking the next step to branch out. Working as a fleet can be amazing, but you’ll likely need some essentials to keep everyone on the right track.
Once you’re sorted with taxi fleet insurance, the next thing to consider is how will you communicate? That’s both with customers and the taxi drivers who work with you. Apps can be an amazing way to connect with customers and allow them to use your services online. It also saves costs, where having people in a call center booking rides is concerned. Taxi apps are the way forward when it comes to booking a cab - just look at the likes of Uber and Kapten.
So, if you’re working within a taxi business or you’re the owner of a taxi business, then it’s high time you considered creating an app.
First things first, how do you even get started with developing a taxi app? You might want to go down the route of getting an independent app developer to price up a quote and develop a unique app for your business. This can be an amazing way to build an app for your taxi business, however, it’s not amazingly cost-effective.
If you’d like to explore the idea of developing a taxi app on a budget, then you might want to look to an external app builder who can build you an app with similar functionality to, say, Uber but at a fraction of the price. The downside is that it’s not as unique and specialized to your business, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem when you’re starting.
How to develop a taxi app without a developer
Builders like AppClues Infotech and WebClues Infotech can build you an app like Uber, that helps your passengers with the following:
Registering details and card details securely
Tracking drivers to see where pickup locations are and where drivers are so that passengers can see what’s available and track their driver.
Setting a pickup location: they can set a location through the map on the app
Fare calculator: you’ll be able to easily calculate a fare that the customer can see going up, just like in real life.
Automatic payment: your customers will automatically be charged so that you need not to worry about anything.
Booking history: customers can see where they’ve been recently and review any previous trips.
Review: the app will allow your customers to review their journey and rate their ride so that you can build up a great reputation.
How to develop a taxi app with a developer
If you’d prefer to design your app with an independent developer, then you might want to consult an app developer who can assist you. This way you will own your asset and be wholly responsible for the app.
The usual process for developing a taxi app with your developer is:
Sketch out ideas: Start with a strong idea about what you want your app to do. Who will it serve? What is the goal? How will it make life easier for people?
Discuss with the developer: In this stage, you want to be finding out what is achievable on your budget and how realistic the plans are. Start simple and build outwards rather than overwhelming the developer in the first meeting. Come prepared with a clear idea of what you want and some notes to back it up so that you don’t leave disappointed.
Develop a wireframe: With any tech, project be it a web build or an app development, you’ll need a wireframe so that people know what they’re working towards. In essence, a wireframe is a storyboard that designs the way that the app should look. Everyone must be on the same page at this stage so that ideas don’t get lost. This is where you plan how the app will work and look, so it’s important for bringing your ideas to life.
Setting out the backend: When you build an app it’s not just about making it look ‘pretty. You’re going to need to set out what the app will do as well. Back-end planning is where you discover what APIs and integrations you need to make the app function. It’s important, and although you might not understand all the jargon, it’s good to get your head around the back end with your developer.
Get building: This is the stage where you allow the developer to go away and start building your app. You need to have your user interface designed, with integrations added and plenty of back-end development too, so it’s a big job. They will need to spend a while testing the app and coming up with changes, so give this stage time.
Take your app to market: You’ll need to register for your app to feature on the Apple Store and for Android phones too, so prepare to spend on marketing during this period to get people engaged with the app.
How can I create an app for my business?
As mentioned earlier, creating an app for your business can be achieved by using an online platform to create one or employing a developer. There are loads of great app-making platforms out there. Many of them are free, so there’s no harm in playing around to see if you like the idea of having an app for your business.
How much do taxi businesses make?
Taxi companies can make a lot of money, and with an app that makes it easy for customers to reach you, they can do even better. Once your outgoing costs are covered like your cars, petrol and taxi fleet insurance you can be sure to make a good return on the investment.
According to Indeed, Taxi drivers earn around £775 per week in London, which is 75% above the national average. Often the taxi company will take a 25-30% cut, around £800 per driver per month for doing virtually nothing but ensuring that the drivers are coordinated. Obviously, the larger the fleet of taxis, the more money you make. However, the more cabs you have on the road, the more people you will need to coordinate.
Often the overhead costs of setting up a call center for customers are expensive and a little outdated, which is why so many cab companies are now opting for an app. It makes ordering a taxi much more convenient.
How much does it cost to build a taxi app?
This depends on which method you choose. If you opt to go for an independent developer, it depends on what they charge. Many developers work on hourly rates which can rack up, so it’s better if you can get a project fee set beforehand. This is rarely achieved, as developers know that often apps take a lot longer than expected, so charging hourly is the only way that they can ensure that they are paid for their time.
Of course, you could always look to outsource to a developer in a different country, where rates may be more favorable. According to Statista, these are roughly the average hourly rates for developers across the world compared to the UK.
North America — $60-250 per hour
United Kingdom — $60-150 per hour
Western Europe — $40-120 per hour
Eastern Europe — $20-100 per hour
The time taken to build an app can vary depending on your requirements but can range anywhere from one month to a year.
Firstly, Uber is an advanced app used by millions of people around the world and it’s important to note that Uber has one app for customers and one for drivers. This means that instead of creating just one app, they have created two, which doubles the cost. It’s impossible to say how much exactly it would cost to create the Uber app, however, we can estimate based on the types of things that need to be included such as:
Back-end development
Web development
Payment forms and detail capture
Native app development
Design
Geolocation and routing
Management and quality assurance
Based on these needs, it can be estimated that an app like uber would cost about $50,000-$2,00,000 to create. According to Django Stars, an app like Uber would take around 2004-2454 hours to create on two platforms – Android and IOS. This would also account for back-end development. On average, they think it would take around 15-17 weeks to take an app like Uber from conception to fruition with around five or six developers working on it at any one time.