The on-demand economy is on a roll. The unprecedented success of aggregators ensures that the spotlight remains on disruptive solutions. Uber has emerged as a bellwether for the on-demand economy, ushering in a spectacular success, prompting businesses to follow suit in developing similar Taxi Booking Software solutions. This is where the narrative changes. Solutions need to be better than Uber to help businesses offer value to clients/customers.

A Taxi Booking Software solution that is a similar version of an existing solution, may not certainly offer an incentive to customers. Solutions need to be innovative to help end users enjoy the convenience of the products. When solutions are incrementally improved, there are possibilities of an increase in the complexities of the solution. Here is a look at some of the challenges faced by developers and taxi service operators when they build a taxi application.

#1 Validation of credentials and security – The biggest challenge facing aggregators and developers is the fact that technology is now being widely used by segments of populations who are not tech savvy. In other words, a significant percentage of users are unaware of the need for security. It is therefore important that developers focus on improving the validation and security measures in Taxi Booking Software to safeguard the interests of the users and the business. For instance, SSO across devices and the need to restrict access to third party APIs are important.

#2 Features in the user interface – The biggest advantage of apps are the user-friendly interfaces. Users find it convenient to touch and swipe to commence and conclude trips. The features need to be made available in a manner that is clutter free. It is important to offer users the options of accessing most functions and features of Taxi Booking Software on a single screen. When you build a taxi application The interface should be designed in a manner so as to dispense with the need for technical knowledge in availing the services.

#3 Fare calculation and route management – Transparency and trust are important in a relationship based ecosystem. When you build a taxi application you need to ensure that The fare calculation needs to be accurate and free from bugs. The estimated fare calculator should be as precise as possible, and closest to the actual fare at the end of a trip.

Similarly, route management is important for drivers as well as ride-hailing customers. Route management should help customers reach destinations quickly, and avoid traffic snarls through real-time inputs/updates on the apps about route congestion.

#4 Driver side app functionality – A ride-hailing service can be successful only when the drivers are motivated, and find the apps useful. For instance, the primary considerations of the driver include the revenues, the commission, the number of rides, customer reviews, and the distance traveled to pick up a fare.

The driver side of the ride-hailing app needs to offer superior functions and features that help the driver. A clear dashboard-like display of the revenues, the commission of the operator, and expenses will help motivate drivers better. This needs to be user-friendly and simplified, considering that all drivers may not possess techno-social skills similar to digital natives.

#5 Integration with telematics for the location of nearest cabs – Users find the visualization of nearest cab location helpful. The real-time updates of locations give confidence to users who need to hail a ride in a hurry. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that the app is fully integrated with telematics to offer accurate pinpointing of the location of nearest cabs.

Users who check out the locations are most likely to be disappointed if the time taken for a cab to reach a location from the displayed location is more than the required time. It is necessary to have systems that are integrated with telematics flawlessly.

#6 Mobile encryption – File-level encryption is necessary for robust security. This will protect the data even if the data is intercepted. This will protect the interests of end users, considering that globally, many aggregators have faced breaches.

A ride-hailing aggregator will lose clientele if confidence is low among users about the security of apps. The encryption of databases and files are of paramount importance to prevent breaches hitting and crippling operations.

There are additional challenges when you build a taxi application such as the need for a device/platform agnostic solution.

Though Android users are a majority, it is necessary to cater to users across devices and platforms. The solution needs to be the same across devices and user experience needs to be similar across all parameters. There are many loose ends that need to be tied up when developing a taxi app. For instance, not all vehicles are the same.

The taxis that are a part of the network are different in terms of size, seating capacity, air-conditioned cabs, and cabs with permits to travel across state borders. The fare calculation, estimated fare and suitability of the cab to meet certain requirements, including shared rides, needs to be carefully developed.

The customer side of the app and the driver side of the app need to work in tandem with the backend to ensure that there is no confusion. For instance, the availability of cabs are displayed on the screens of customers, while drivers need to either accept or decline fares. This needs to be coordinated on a real-time basis and at very high speeds to offer customers enhanced convenience, seamlessly.