Hailing Cabs Digitally with the GetTaxi App

Hailing a yellow cab through your smartphone or computer is one step closer to happening on the city shores. And the human race is one step closer to eliminating all human interaction…

The application, dubbed GetTaxi, has already made significant waves in Russian, Israeli, and UK markets. Coupled with possible backseat vending machines and iPad screens, taxis are becoming crazy technological.

Here’s how it works – once an “order” is processed, cabbies subscribed to GetTaxi receive a notification that a fare is waiting at a certain location. The race then begins. On the flip-side, customers can follow the incoming taxi via GPS tracking.

GetTaxi is courting the Taxi & Limousine Commission to install the digital platform across the fleet, but there are still some, ahem, potholes to clear. Word is, the system could roll out within months.

GetTaxi will not have its own fleet of drivers, but rather it will complement the service of existing taxi fleets. When a driver signs on to the platform, GetTaxi trains them in the product and in customer service. Customer service lines will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Herman believes all of this will revolutionize the New York City taxi experience if her company is approved by the TLC.

GetTaxi won’t immediately be available for New York City’s yellow taxis, which are legally prohibited from taking a booking through a radio device. Herman, however, is confident she’ll be able to persuade the relevant parties that what she called “digital dispatch” is superior to the on-the-ground hail.

What do you think of the GetTaxi idea?

[via Mashable]