Mumbai residents can now book taxis through their smartphones. Bookmycab.com, a radio-taxi service, has launched an app for Android-based phones through which users can book the standard black-and-yellow cabs as well as air-conditioned cabs on the go.
“We are proud to announce that we are perhaps the first taxi company globally to launch an app that works without internet and this should help ease the transportation problems of Mumbaikars,” said Avinash Gupta, CEO of Bookmycab.com.
The company has more than 3,000 registered taxis in the city to service the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Those who don’t have internet access on their mobile phones can book cabs through SMS.
The firm aims to deliver a taxi at the customer’s doorstep within 10-20 minutes of booking. The service, which is available 24 hours a day, uses global positioning system (GPS) and general packet radio service (GPRS)-enabled real-time tracking technology to ensure timely availability and passenger safety. When a customer makes a call to book a taxi, the contact centre executive asks for the pick-up point and destination. The information is then passed on to the taxi dispatch system, which instantly locates nearby taxis, sends trip information and, upon approval from the taxi driver, sends a confirmation note to the customers.
