An Overview on Taxi Booking App Development from Cost to Features

The commute is a daily life chore these days as an average adult spends more than 2.5 hours/week on it. The tech market has understood this problem, and thus we have seen unicorns such as Ola and Uber emerging as market leaders for a cab booking application. The basic plan of a taxi booking app development is to ease the problem of everyday commute of the users with just a tap on their mobile phone. The mobile apps are handy and easily accessible, and thus it makes the process of booking a taxi or a cab reasonably simple.

The main question then arises is about build a cab booking app and how much would it cost. With this, it is clear that there is a need for quality solutions and there are many businesses looking to build a cab booking app. These businesses would be more eager to know about how much it would cost to develop such an app. Here, the organizations should consider providing permanent and innovative solutions that can make their taxi booking app different from their established peers and help them create their forte among the targeted customers.

A top automotive software development company can provide permanent and innovative solutions that can make your taxi booking digital product different from their established peers and help you create your forte among the targeted customers.

Thus, taking a tip or two from the market moguls, let us find out how they invested in developing the taxi booking app. Uber presently runs in over 581 cities across 81 countries around the globe. Although having a small business model, in the beginning, Uber has propelled to become the second biggest company venture.

Thus without much ado, let us quickly understand its business nuances before we have a look at the taxi app development cost that is needed to develop a taxi booking app like Uber.

How Taxi Booking App Development is beneficial for your business?

Taxi booking is one of the top business models for startups because the wide range of taxi app development ideas from carpooling and luxury vehicle renting to healthcare and delivery service enable taxi businesses to target niche markets and grow boundlessly. Leveraging any of the taxi booking app development ideas, taxi businesses can broaden user reach and inform the world about the services they offer.

With urbanization and better road connectivity, people are traveling to places. If you have a taxi booking app with apt features, it could become a value proportion for the users and give you a better start amidst your competitors. With the increase in technology, the taxi market has become very niche, so a mobile app is essential.  Stats also show that the world taxi market will show a compound annual growth of 9.4% by the year 2024.

By developing a cab booking app, you can have specific offers for your targeted customers and also for the drivers who are willing to associate with your platform.. From in-app payment options for users to insurance covers to flexible work hours and the opportunity to earn more in peak hours for drivers, you can make an all-round development if you have a taxi booking app.

The improved brand credibility with the taxi booking app helps the taxi business to get more user bookings that are turned into loyal, potential users with special privileges or discounted rides. The feedback system is a boon for the taxi business to enhance service quality and makes the user feel special for considering their feedback.

The real-time tracking and communication transparency leads to satisfactory user experiences as the users can track and get to know things in detail via seamless communication with the taxi businesses and drivers.

How much will it cost to develop a taxi booking app?

As a top-rated app development company, we always offer the option for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) based on the app requirements. By developing an MVP, you will also get better insights about the likes and dislikes of the customers and the set of features that you must add to increase its popularity when you roll out the full-fledged app.

Moreover, building an MVP will also decrease the app development time, app development cost, and will allow you to release your app in the market rapidly.

The taxi app development cost depends on several facts such as features, demographics, etc. The organization needs to understand that if you are including high-end features, the cost of the taxi booking app will go higher.

Project Management, Quality Analysis, and Bug fixing would account for 39% of the total cost of developing a taxi booking app. Also, the passenger side of the app would cost you 33%, admin dashboard 14%, and driver’s side app 14%.

 

If you are willing to develop the taxi booking app in the USA, it will cost you from $70-$230 per hour depending on the number of features (basic or advanced) you are willing to include.The cab booking app development cost in the UK will range from $65-$140, and in India, it will be $20-$70.

Moreover, if you are planning to develop a basic taxi booking app, it will cost you somewhere between $25000-40000 and for a feature-rich app; the cost will increase by up to $90,000 to $140,000.

As a taxi business owner, if you are interested in getting a taxi app build to boost your taxi business, then app development cost is certainly your concern.  The cost varies based on different hiring models so here’s the client guide to development costs that helps you get insights into how the costs add up.

Insightful readings: How to Build a Successful App in 8 Easy Steps?

Understanding the business model for Taxi Booking App

Two types of business models can be used to develop your taxi booking app

◾️ Aggregator model

◾️ Ownership Model

Aggregator Model

Here the cab aggregator will partner with the cab operators to provide the rides as per the request of the user. In this model, the taxi aggregator will receive the commission from the operator, and the operator has to pay a certain amount as fees to use the platform. Most of the leading taxis booking apps such as Uber, Ola, Gett, etc. are running their business on this model.

Ownership Model

If you are looking for a taxi fleet service through your app, this business model will work the best for you. The unique thing about this model is that there are no hidden charges for the operational cost.  The taxi operator only needs to pay for the fuel, maintenance cost, and the cost of using the technology platform.

How does the taxi app work?

The taxi app has turned the taxi booking process into a game of a couple of clicks and taps. The simplified taxi booking process allows an average Joe to get the taxi booked in seconds at the touch of a few buttons.

The user through the taxi app requests for taxi service by providing the pick-up location, time, taxi type, and drop-off location. The users can request a ride now or schedule it for later on. As the user request for taxi booking, the app dispatches the request to the drivers who are in the close vicinity of the location from where the passengers need to be pick-up.

The taxi booking service notification (Including ride details) is received by the nearby drivers and the driver who accepts the request first will get an opportunity to provide cabservice. After request acceptance by the driver, the users also get a notification with all the required driver details who will provide the taxi service. In addition to ETA, the users can track the driver’s route with GPS integration in the mobile app.

The driver arrives at the pick-up location and drop-off the user at the defined location. After completing the ride, the user makes the payment using the preferred payment modes such as cash, credit/debit card, or other payment gateways. At last, the user rates the driver based on various factors like the driver’s behavior and service offered among many other aspects.

Raise booking request

The user enters taxi type, pick-up location, drop-off location, time, and extra accessories if needed.

Ride request acceptance

The driver accepts the request based on ride details and their availability.

Inform the users

Users get a notification for the driver and their details who deliver the taxi service along with ETA.

Hassle-free payment

After completing the ride, the user can pay the trip fare the way they want.

Provide performance feedback

Users can rate and provide reviews for the driver’s behavior and service delivered throughout the trip.

Monetization Strategies for a Cab Booking App

There are several monetization options that you can include in your taxi booking app to generate extra revenue. Competent monetization strategies are a win-win situation for both the driver and the business person who provides him/her with his taxi booking platform.

Profit-sharing:

Through the taxi booking app, your company can earn a significant amount of money by keeping a certain amount of profit share from the drivers. Moreover, you can also tie-up with hotels and tour operators and earn additional revenue in the process.

Premium Accounts:

You can give your drivers a flexible number of trips that they have to complete in the day. This process will urge them to work on their account and generate more revenue for you through the taxi booking app. Similarly, the users can have a premium experience and have better discounts available for multiple bookings and other priority-based options.

In-app advertisements:

In-app advertisements can work both ways for you. The in-app ads provide an opportunity to earn by displaying ads at strategic points while the user is using the app. If the app does well at the app stores there will be many who will want to advertise in your taxi booking app. In-app advertisements can also keep your customers engaged in the app by showing them more personalized services ads that they would relate to. This will not only improve the goodwill of your taxi booking app but also help to improve your customer retention rate.

Features of a Taxi Booking App

The features in a taxi booking app can be divided into two parts as fundamental features and additional features. Taxi booking app development, on the whole, can be divided into three different user types:

•  Customer
•  Driver
•  Admin

The aspects and features would differ according to the requirement and the technology enhancements provided for every user type.  Here we have differentiated all the features based on the basic and advanced features along with some core Admin features that should be included.

Basic Features

🔹 Registration & Login: Registration process should be simple and streamlined. The user and the driver must have the luxury to use their social media account or email id to get registered on the app.

🔹 Booking: Booking process will have all the options such as estimated fare, time to reach the pickup point, etc.

🔹 Location Status: The Status feature for both the driver and user would show the distance of each other from the respective position.

🔹 Booking history: This feature will show the user their previous booking made and the ratings given to the respective drivers. While the drivers can view the number of trips they have taken.

🔹 Communication tab: The feature would be very useful for the customers as well as the drivers to communicate precisely at the time of the pickup.

🔹 Maps and Location: The User can set the pickup & drop point via the map and also know about the route taken by the driver. While the drivers can know the pickup & drop locations and the fastest route to the destination selected.

🔹 Payments: Hassle-free payment where customers can use their credit/debit card or third party e-wallets while the driver can receive the payment or get the notification once the payment is received.

🔹 SMS Notification: The SMS feature will provide an alert to the passenger to notify them about their bookings, latest offers, and updates, etc.

🔹 Ratings and Reviews: The customers will have the option of rating the driver based on services and behavior. The experience review tab will help you know the behavior of the driver, thus enabling smooth functioning and better travel experience.

Admin Panel

🔹 Dashboard: The panel should have a synchronized dashboard to manage and monitor the activities made from both the user and the driver’s end while they are on the taxi booking app. There will be multiple options to manage and update various aspects and features. The admin panel will have control over various other features to manage a smooth working.

🔹 GPS System: The GPS would allow the admin panel to track the driver and user’s real-time status while the ride is on, it is essential for security reasons. Any other features or services with respect to a location can be tracked.

🔹 Payments: Based on the payment structure built, the admin can overview the transactions done by the user as well and those received by the driver or else notify the driver about the payment received from the user and then transfer the amount to the driver’s account or wallet.

🔹 Data collection: The admin panel must have an organized data collection place as it will allow the taxi booking app to share more personalized services to the users and make them come again and again to the app.

Advanced Features

🔹 Notification: Notifications for customers informing them about the new offers, promo codes, surge in prices, etc.

🔹 Choosing a preferred driver: Your Cab booking app can have a feature that allows the user to select a driver with whom they have had a better experience. Such features also depend on the availability of the driver as well but, it will do wonders for its popularity.

🔹 Scheduling rides: With this ‘Book now ride later’ feature, the user can book their ride in advance for an upcoming date and time. Adding the scheduling feature would give the users an extra reason to like your taxi booking app.

🔹 Wallet: Digital payment options is a must for a taxi booking app as it provides flexibility to both the users and the drivers to pay and receive payments seamlessly. Make sure you give the user enough options so that they can choose and pay in a hassle-free manner.

🔹 Tipping the driver: The new feature would allow the driver to receive additional money for their excellent service and behavior. This feature will play an essential role in increasing driver loyalty to your app.

🔹 Driver based location selection: When a driver receives a request for a ride, the driver would have a choice to decide if he/she wants to take the ride and thus opt for the passengers according to the destination. The driver will be given the option once a certain number of rides are completed on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

🔹 Add a stop location: The user can add a pickup location/drop location while the ride in on in addition to informing the driver so that the ride updates and the route changes are updates at the driver’s end as well.

🔹 Earning from wait times: The driver will get paid for longer wait times and pickups, and the fares would get added to the previous standard fees. This is will also ensure more takers as the driver as well as the passenger will be assured of a ride back.

Also Read: The cost to develop a car rental app like Zoomcar

Technology Stack for a Taxi Booking App

🔹 In-app notification: For iOS users. Apple Push notification service and for Android, it is Google Cloud Messaging

🔹 Geo Location: For Geolocation on iOS devices, you need to work on the core location framework and Google’s API is used for Android devices. For navigation access, Mapkit is used in iOS, and Google Maps Android APIs are used in Android.

🔹 Payment Gateway: Braintree is one of the leaders in providing payment gateways for taxi booking apps. Another prominent option is Stripe.

🔹 SMS notification: Twillo is the leader in SMS notification. Other amazing options are Nexmo, Plivo, Sinch, etc.

🔹 Storage: Using a cloud platform would be apt for your taxi booking app. Cloud Services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon S3, or Microsoft Azure are some of the widely used ones and it would vary based on the requirements.

🔹 Languages: Java, JavaScript, Objective C, Kotlin, Flutter, and Python are used to write the code of the taxi booking app depending on nature and the platform they are concerned with.

🔹 UI/UX: The design of the taxi booking app is developed using technologies such as CSS, Adobe UI/UX Package, HTML5, etc.

🔹 Social Media Signup: You have to integrate Facebook SDK to allow the users to register in the app by using their Facebook profiles making it a seamless process for the users.

🔹 Data Analytics: Leading service providers such as Microsoft Analytics and Google cloud analytics are used for the integration of data analytics.

Dedicated team for building a taxi booking app

The right team structure will ensure that the cab booking app development becomes hassle-free and gives the desired results. We have an expert and experienced team who have developed similar apps.

Team suggested to build Taxi app with Basic Feature

◾️ 1 Project Manager

◾️ 1 Team Leader

◾️ 3-4 Android/iOS developers

◾️ 1-2 Back-end developers

◾️ 1-2 UI/UX designers

◾️ 1-2 QA experts\

Team suggested to build Taxi app with Advanced Feature

◾️ 1 Project Manager

◾️ 3-4 Team Leaders

◾️ 5-7 Android/iOS developers

◾️ 3-4 Back-end developers

◾️ 4-5 UI/UX designers

◾️ 3-4 QA experts

Wrapping up

To develop a top-rated taxi booking app, you need to have some experienced hands to work for you. Ensure that the mobile app development service provider you partner with is competent enough to carry the project successfully.

With us, you need not worry about any of these, as we are a professional Taxi Booking App Development Company and have experienced developers and designers to take care of all your taxi app business requirements. Moreover, we will also provide proper guidance by adding the advanced features, and also in identifying the needs and wants of your targeted customers as adding unnecessary features will cost your dearly.