GrabTaxi, Region's Largest Taxi-booking Mobile App, Beta Launches in Singapore
GrabTaxi, Region's Largest Taxi-booking Mobile App, Beta Launches in Singapore
GrabTaxi, the largest Southeast Asia taxi-booking mobile app, beta launches in Singapore today. This is the fourth market in which the app has been launched, after Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The mobile app is currently the only taxi booking app in Singapore that connects the commuter directly to the taxi driver's personal smartphone. Commuters can also include their destination when booking a taxi, which increases the possibilities of securing a successful booking, since taxi drivers would be more likely to accept booking offers if the destination is along their desired route. This is especially important during shift change periods when booking taxis is difficult unless the destination is nearby or on the way for the taxi driver.
After GrabTaxi is launched, it'll automatically detect the commuter's current location using the smartphone's in-built GPS and show the number of available taxis near you. The commuter selects the desired destination and the booking request is sent to taxi drivers near you. The drivers will then bid for the job and the taxi driver nearest to the commuter will be assigned the booking. The commuter will receive a booking confirmation within one minute, together with information such as estimated time of arrival, taxi number, and the driver’s contact details. The commuter can also track the real-time location of the booked taxi.
Using Google maps to help locate taxis, the mobile app is not dependent on any local taxi network. Also, the ‘Share My Ride’ tool on its application allows the commuters’ loved ones to track the location of their ride in real-time.
For the duration of the beta launch from 17 October to 17 November 2013, beta testers stand a chance to win an iPhone 5s just by using the GrabTaxi mobile app to make a booking. For every successful booking, the user will be entered into the draw ten times, with unsuccessful bookings still resulting in a single entry. Users will be notified via email that they have been entered into the draw. More information is available on the GrabTaxi Facebook page.
The GrabTaxi app is available for download for iOS devices, Android devices and Windows phones.