Wednesday, June 18, 2014

EASY TAXI APP SET TO DIGITALISE NAIROBI TAXI WORLD

#EASY TAXI

This is a small cut from the Diary of a Taxi Driver series: “I have been swerving potholes and drunkards on these roads for the last ten years and witnessed scenes etched forever in my memory. Last night, a girl fell flat on her face and managed to laugh as she picked herself up and left her dignity in the puddles. She straightened her muddled dress and tried to balance on unbelievably high heels. She looked like those newborn giraffe calves learning to walk and you had to admire her ambition.
I’m sitting in traffic, drumming to Ken Wa Maria and chuckle when I get flashbacks of these funny incidents. Many customers using the Easy Taxi App means that I get jobs regularly and nearby my parking spot. It’s a win-win situation. It hasn’t stopped the strange happenings on these streets though…”


Nairobi is unpredictable right? Well, we all have our plan-B and most of the time it is that cab guy during those matatu strikes, rain-induced traffic jams, fate nights or even at the grocers, or a night out with your boys or girls.
Well, let’s just say your cab guy is your wing man- your Robin Hood in a Batman story. Well, but Nairobi, at times dubbed ‘Nairobbery’; it is hard to trust someone and hence finding that loyal and reliable can guy ain’t that easy.

Well, a new company that started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012 is here with the solution. Easy Taxi is the world’s largest booking app and I snow available in Nairobi Kenya.
This app is quite intuitive and easy to use. It is available for Android, Ios, Windows and Blackberry 10 phones and there is also a web application you can use.
Picture this: an app that tracks your location through GPS; scans around for a taxi that is available near you and assigns the closest driver possible. Well, if you don’t want that selected choice, one can reject and the driver can also reject you.
And that’s not all- once you select a cab, you receive a notification with the driver’s photo, his mobile number, the type of cab he is driving and the vehicle registration number. You are now free to call each other with specific pick up instructions and aid with navigation. Through Waze and Google Navigation; the cab guy is led to you and can’t get lost.


Nifty right? Well, is it safe I hear you ask? It even gets better. Easy Taxi takes all the cab drivers through a vigorous vetting process to ensure rogues are not involved. Also, in case you hailed a cab and find that you are no longer need it; you can terminate the call out.
A change is definitely looming. With the public transport going digital, Easy Taxi is a great game changer to the market and well I guess Hon. Mututho can relax because having a night out will no longer include “drink driving”.

-          For more information, please visit facebook.com/EasyTaxi254>https://www.facebook.com/EasyTaxi254

By Embukane Vincent Libosso.






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