The way we live our lives has greatly been influenced by digitalization and taxi booking needs have not been any different. Over the years, a number of taxi booking apps have popped up in the market, showing the way out to conventional taxi services.

As per the report of Mordor Intelligence, the online taxi booking sector is expected to reach USD 388.79 billion by 2028 while forecasting a growth at a CAGR of 8.95% for 2023-2028 period.

How does an on-demand taxi booking app work?

A taxi booking app lets the passengers choose the rides available in the local region by using GPS technology. There are a few steps involved in the process and they are: 

1. Registration 

To start using the taxi booking app, the app user should start with the registration process. They need to provide personal information including their name, payment details and phone number.  

2. Ride booking 

Once the user is registered, she/he can then start requesting a ride by entering the pickup and drop-off locations. The GPS in the app will identify the location of the user and will find the nearest driver for the ride. 

3. Ride acceptance by driver 

Driver can choose to accept or reject a ride request that they receive. The user will be notified about the details of the driver along with the estimated time of arrival if the driver accepts the ride.  

4. Tracking the ride 

The app comes with a map feature. The user can track the location of the driver using the map in real-time. The map also provides the estimated arrival time of the driver.  

5. Payment 

On the completion of the ride, the user can pay the driver the fare through the app by selecting a payment method. The user can also provide feedback on the ride and rate the driver through the app.  

6. Driver gets paid 

The driver receives the payment through the app. The app pays the driver after taking a commission for the ride.  

 

What are the key features of an Online Taxi Booking App?

A typical online taxi booking app development involves covering three important panels and it covers developing an admin app, a passenger app and a driver app. Together, they simplify the whole process of the taxi booking application. So, let’s see the key features required to develop each app segment.  

Admin panel 

• Managing drivers: Admin can track the rides and ratings of the drivers using this feature and maintain service quality.  
• Managing passengers: Admin can manage the account details of the passengers using this feature. 
• Managing discounts, coupons and promos: This feature lets the admin manage discounts and promo offers for each ride without any complications.

Passenger Panel 

• Login and signup: This feature lets app user to login into the app using their Gmail or social media account or phone number.  
• Create profile: This feature lets passengers edit their profile details including their information, passwords and credentials. 
• Add location: Passenger can either add a location automatically or manually using this feature. To make that happen, Google Map API can be integrated into the app.  
• Payment methods: This feature lets passengers choose from different payment options added in the app as per their preference. 
• Location tracking: Once the ride is confirmed, the passenger will get the estimated time of driver arrival along with real-time location tracking.  
• Live maps: This feature will display a live map that shows the locations of nearby available drivers.   
• Select driver: This feature will display the list of drivers that are available in the same locality once the passenger requests a ride.  
• Select a ride: This feature lets the passenger book a cab and add in the destination. While placing the request, the app will also show the estimated time and cost of the ride.  
• Rating system: This feature lets the passenger give reviews and ratings to the driver based on their ride experience.  
• Notifications: Now keep passengers updated with their ride confirmation, offers, payment, estimated travel time and much more using this feature.  
• In-app chat/call: Passengers can get in touch with the driver once the ride has been accepted using the in-app chat or calling feature without having to make their number public.  

Driver Panel 

• Registration and login: Driver can register and then login to the app using the same credentials. The driver needs to verify the details of his/her car registration here.  
• Driver profile: Driver can add and edit his/her personal details including name, car details, phone number, etc. here.  
• Availability status: Drivers can mark their availability by entering their duty hours with this feature.
• Geolocation: This feature will let the users to quickly spot the location of the passenger and reach their destination through the fastest route.  
• Navigation: This feature lets drivers select the best route that can help them take the passenger to their destination within less time.     
• Accept/reject requests: This feature lets the drivers accept or reject ride requests based on their availability.  
• Notification: This feature sends alerts to the passengers regarding trip information, road details, payment status, cancellations, etc. 
• Earnings: Drivers can access this feature to get a complete report of their monthly trips and earnings. 
• Ride estimation: With this feature, drivers can calculate the total cost of the trip along with discounts.  

Additional features to have in a Taxi Booking App 

Apart from the key features, on-demand taxi booking app development can include some additional features and they are: 

• Dynamic pricing 

This feature lets the app set the fares of the ride based on availability and demand. This will ensure the ride is always available for the passengers.  

• Shared rides 

This feature lets passengers save money on their rides by sharing it with people who are travelling in the same direction.  

• Scheduled rides 

This feature lets the passengers use the app for scheduling rides for future plannings. So, whether it is about arriving on time for a doctor’s appointment or needing a ride to the airport, this feature can help. 

• In-app payments 

This feature lets the passengers to quickly and conveniently pay for their rides directly through the mobile app.  

• Corporate accounts 

This feature lets corporates to manage ride expenses for their employees by creating and managing their accounts.  

 

Step-by-Step Guide to Build an On-Demand Taxi Booking App 

Building a successful app requires proper planning in place. Here are the steps included in on-demand taxi booking app development: 

1. Market research 

The first and foremost step in online taxi booking app development is to conduct thorough research and, based on that, gather all requirements. After analyzing your target audience and your app model, the feasibility of your app idea is tested. Now this includes: 

• Studying your target audience and their requirements. 

• Choosing a good business model after identifying your competitors. 

• Choosing a favorable revenue model 

• Calculating the cost of your app development 

 

2. Brainstorming ideas 

Before starting the work on taxi app development, the experts on the development team look for various possibilities. Based on the finalized outcome, a blueprint for the project is developed. 

 

3. Requirement gathering 

Based on the decided scope and timeline of the project, the required features, functionalities, design and tech stack for the project are decided.

  

4. Prototyping 

In this step, the MVP of the app is designed by the team. Based on the areas of improvement, changes are made to the app design.  

 

5. UI/UX design

Based on the finalized MVP, the designing of the app starts in this stage. The UI/UX team starts by designing an intuitive and attractive user interface for the app by including amazing graphics, motions and realistic visuals.

 

6. Development 

Once the UI/UX designing is done for the app then it is time to work on the app backend. The features and functionalities for the app are developed by the developers by writing code in the selected programming language.

 

7. Quality Analysis 

It is important to ensure the developed app project is bug-free and error-free. To make that happen, the QA team carries out in-depth testing of the app and fixes issues in the process.

  

8. Deployment 

Once the quality of the app is checked and it is optimized for different aspects then it is time to launch the app on the various app stores and on your server. Once this process is completed then it is time for the company to run its taxi business. 

  

9. Support & maintenance 

Launching the app is not the end of development and the start of a successful taxi business. To keep up with the changing market needs, customer demands and to ensure the app works optimally, it is important to carry out support & maintenance.  

Cost of developing an On-Demand Taxi Booking App

When thinking about starting a taxi business, the first thought that comes to our mind is about what will be the taxi app development cost? The answer for this is not that straight as it feels. You need to think about a few things apart from just money. It includes the number of features included, location of the app, scope of the project, complexity of the functionalities, etc.  

It is important to carry out enough research and decide on the above-mentioned factors as per your business needs before you hire an app development company. Also keep in mind that the technologies you choose also affect the cost of app development. 

Building a taxi booking app involves a lot of complex features and different modules. This means you will need a skilled development team with enough years of experience for the job and this can increase your app development budget too.  

 

Conclusion 

Now that you know the essential features you need to have in your taxi booking app and its process, it is time to plan and invest in online taxi booking app development that suits your business. 

When going for a taxi mobile app development, you need to consider a few things for sure. This includes the time and cost involved in the app development and choosing the right mobile app development company.  

Being a leading mobile app development company in the market, we are committed to offering you top-notch app development services. So, get in touch with our team and we will ensure to give the best shape to your app idea.