Contact us anytime to know more ā Kuldeep K., Founder & CEO CISIN
This is the reason why this article has been written, to let people know what they need to develop such an app. Also, how much it will cost, what technology stacks will be used, what are the features to be included, and a lot more things.
There are many things that can be done based on the things that have already been done, which is where research plays an important role.
Selecting what to keep from the existing options that people have is a tough job. No development company or startup can just give the same things, people wonāt accept them, it should be a perfect balance of what had worked well in the past and what else people want.
The balance needs to be found out by analyzing the behavior and the needs of the target user group. It takes time and needs patience and dedication to do it. A development company that is looking to go for a taxi app development idea needs to be sure about it before deploying their app.
For that, it is necessary that they complete the first requirement of doing their research properly.
The Features Of The Uber App
The Uber application is a great example of all the new applications that want to get into this industry. They have made an application that is nearly perfect - leaving their support and other services aside, their application is perfect.
They even changed their technical stack, updated everything, and got the best app. This is something that all the companies that are starting out should take as a lesson and find the perfect stack at the beginning itself.
This will help them to focus more on promotions and marketing than on the redevelopment of the application. It would be even better if the features in the applications are kept as minimal and to the point as possible. An application with clean and just the required features is much better for people.
This is not an application that people will ever use to kill time. It should be fast, should have all the features to find and book a ride on its homepage, and should have a fast response time.
Now letās talk about the features that Uber has which all the other applications should have as well. There are two parts to this application: one is for the riders and another one is for the drivers.
Features On The Riderās Side Of The Application
1. Registration/Social Media Log-In
This is the first feature that everyone will see when they download the application. To use these types of applications it is necessary that passengers have their account on the application.
They can either log in using their social media accounts and later add their contact number or directly log in using their contact number itself. This is the part that should not just force users to create a new account and should allow them to log in using social media accounts to save time.
This is something that proves that the application developers are interested in better services that data accumulation.
2. Booking
After creating an account or logging in with a social media account, users should see an option to book a cab or a bike, whatever they prefer.
For this feature, the app has to ask for permission to access the userās location so it can track down the current location of the user. There should also be an option for the user to input their location manually in case GPS is not working properly. A situation can also arise when a person has to book for someone else, so if there is no option to put in an address manually, they will never be able to make a booking for their friends or family.
This is something that will make the users switch to another app that provides that feature. A PWA development company can add this and all other features that have been mentioned here and provide the company with a great solution for less cost.
3. Fare Estimation
This is what comes after the user confirms where they want to go and from where. They should know the estimated fare for each vehicle type.
This will allow them to decide what vehicle type they want to choose and if they really want to avail of that service or not. The fare estimation should also include the breakup of the fare, the taxes, the surge charges, and the discount. This is the place where they can also apply discount codes and other offers.
This fare should not change much when the ride ends, otherwise, that will discourage the user from using the app again.
4. Tracking The Driver
Tracking the driver is one of the most important features of a taxi application. This is for the purpose of transparency and also to keep the passengers updated about the location of the driver who they chose.
They will get to know how long it will take for the driver to reach their pick up location. This is something that allows them to come to the pickup point in time if they are far away from it and then give directions to the drivers.
5. Payment
Payment options and features should be simple and also the ones that are in trend. Cash and debit/credit cards are the traditional methods of payment but there are some new ones that can be considered.
PayPal-like wallet payment services should be included and UPIs should be added. All of these are the trending payment methods and they will motivate users to pay digitally. One more payment option that can be added is a wallet that is specifically for Uber-like app development.
It is an in-app, personal wallet using which customers can get a cashback and also pay from it. Users should be allowed to add money via gift cards and other digital methods. They will get the benefit of paying faster and without the use of any OTP, thereby not putting their account at risk.
6. Notifications
This is a feature that all the apps need. This is more important for the development company and the ones who own the app more than the users.
This is something they need to do so that their offers and updates reach their consumers at the right time. Notifications should also not be overdone and should also be creative. Overdone notifications can irritate users and force them to disable the app, which will be negative for the taxi booking app development.
Notification types are also important, developers have to make sure to customize them according to usersā preferences.
7. Chat Or Call Option With The Driver
The passengers should be able to call or chat with their driver before he/she arrives at their pickup location. This will make it easy for the driver to reach the passenger and the passenger will also know the exact status of their ride.
It will increase the accessibility and experience of the application. A call option can be in-app or also with the calling system of the usersā smartphone. There can be a mediator who will redirect the call so that the contact numbers of the riders and the drivers can be kept private.
This feature will also help them in allowing the two main users of the application to deal with each other on their level. Drivers sometimes cancel rides without even checking with customers. In these situations, riders can directly call drivers as soon as they know that their booking is confirmed.
8. Ratings And Reviews Of The Driver
Drivers should be rated and reviewed by passengers and vice-versa. This will allow both the drivers and the passengers to know if they want to choose each other or not.
Both can cancel each other's requests if their ratings are not good. And proper reviews also help passengers to know if a driver is polite or strict. Also, the driver can know the same about a passenger and how they need to behave with the passenger.
This will make the ride the best one for both of them and make it a perfect experience. Reviews and ratings are mandatory to maintain the trust of passengers. There are many things that will be impacted by this, like the number of times a person books a ride.
This also makes them feel good if they get the best drives. The best thing about this is that both parties can make sure that they are nice to each other so they get the best ratings.
It can be even better if they can reward them based on the ratings to motivate good behavior. Mobile application development services need to keep this feature working in the best way.
9. Customer Support
Customer support might have come at the end of this list but it is one of the most important features to have in the app.
The reason for this is that there will be issues that are either related to the services or the payment or anything else. Those issues, if left unattended, will create a negative market image for the app, and eventually, the brand will fall.
This will be a big setback for the taxi company. To make sure this doesnāt happen, the development company needs to make sure that they develop a good customer support feature.
The app should have chat support, call support, and email support. All three can be done in the best way if developers and the support staff work together. The development team can ensure that the messages always reach the support team and there is no glitch in the process.
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After that, it is the job of the support staff to handle the problems and resolve them in the best ways possible.
Customer support can make or break a taxi service, it all depends on how good or bad it is. Having said that, it is very important to pay attention to the customer support feature and the staff that will be managing that feature after the development of the app.
Also, the development team will have to make sure that the feature always works smoothly on both sides.
Features On The Driverās Side Of The Application
1. Registration
Registration is important for drivers as well. A taxi app development company needs to create a proper registration portal on the application.
This is what authenticates them every time they go out and start accepting passengers for rides. This section should have all the details like the type and the registration number of the vehicle. All the other details need to be taken at this stage through this feature.
2. Dashboard
The dashboard should have all the details of the total number of rides taken, distance traveled, fare earned, etc.
This is the section of the app that all the drivers should be able to look at to know the details of their work. Also, they should know how much they will be getting from the total amount.
3. Reject/Accept Ride
Drivers should be allowed to accept or reject a ride request according to their preferences. There are many situations when the drivers are not in a condition to accept rides and in those situations, they can reject.
Also, there will be a lot of drivers in the area of a person, and without the accept/reject ride feature, a lot of confusion can be created as more than one driver can get assigned to the same passenger. Progressive web app development services also allow the addition of such features and they are cross-platform as well.
4. Driverās Wallet
The wallet feature should be provided where the driverās earnings can be saved and they should also be allowed to transfer it to themselves.
This feature will make it easy for them to know their earnings, which will also motivate them to earn more.
5. GPS
This is an important feature on the driverās side of the application. A driver can face difficulty in finding the location of the passenger without this feature in the application.
There can be drivers who do not belong to a city they drive in and they might not be familiar with the place. This is where GPS helps both the customers and the drivers. The passengers will be able to know where their driver is heading and when they will reach their location.
It can be very difficult to track the customer or the driver without the GPS feature. A taxi app development company needs to understand that this feature should not be left out of the app at any cost.
6. Support
Drivers face the same problems as passengers. They may have issues with the wallet or the interface of the application.
There might be a problem in accepting or rejecting ride requests, or some other problem. These issues require urgent attention - they are even more important than customer issues. This is because if drivers are facing problems there will surely be problems for the passengers.
The Technical Stack Used For Developing An Uber-Like App
Development of a taxi application may require the following programming frameworks and platforms:
Google Location API, Google Maps Android API (Geo-location)
Firebase Cloud Messaging, Twilio, Nexto, Plivo, Sinch (Notifications and Management)
Stripe Paypalās SDK Google Wallet, Braintree (Payment Gateway Integration)
There are many languages, frameworks, and APIs that can be used to develop an application like Uber.
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There can be a framework that can develop all the parts of the application or there can be a different one. The application or the website should have no weak points.
Content and design are two of the most important parts of a website that impact users. Developers can add languages like Python to the stack. These languages are the ones that have provided the best results for a lot of normal as well as a PWA development company.
There are a lot of frameworks and languages but not all of them are a fit for Uber-like app development and hence it is important to first find out which ones are a fit.
Know which programming framework has been used by other taxi brands and then follow what they do best and leave out the mistakes.
Final Words
There are many companies that might be wanting taxi booking app development. In todayās times, more and more people are wishing for these kinds of mobile app development services.
They are a great business solution for companies. This is a service that involves the transaction of money between passengers and a company as well. Because of all of these things, it is important to pay attention to the features that the developer includes in the application.
The basic features that can be mentioned both in the userās, as well as the driverās application, are mentioned above.
A developer needs to make sure that they provide users with the best service and pay attention to the requirements of the company. This is what will make the whole application what it is.
The application can be made as a native application or as a cross-platform application. The benefit of a cross-platform application will be more as it will save a lot of time and money for the company that wants the application.
Native application development might provide better quality but it will also require more time and money. It is on the company that wishes for such an application and that is why the cost and time taken cannot be decided.
Cost and time taken are variable according to the scope of the application and the technologies that are used for it.
