Taxis are an essential part of modern life, whether you need a lift home after a night out or are trying to get to your hotel in a foreign city. But while taxis still have an important part to play in life, the old methods for hailing them don’t.
There’s no longer any need to call a cab and you can forget about hailing one from the side of the road. Instead there are a new breed of apps to make finding a taxi faster and more affordable than ever and these are five of the best.
Uber, available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone, has quickly become a big name, though having launched in 2009 it’s actually one of the oldest of this new category of apps.
Uber is available in 48 countries, though often only in major cities, and you simply request a ride through the app and one will usually be with you in minutes. There’s no need or even the ability to book in advance, you just request a taxi as and when you need one.
It estimates how much the journey will cost before the request is made so you won’t be stung with any unexpected charges and payment is handled automatically through the app once you’ve setup an account, making it quick and easy and meaning you don’t need to get cash out.
But it goes way beyond that. For example even if you don’t know your exact address you can set your pickup location on a map and on that same map you can see your driver’s exact location, so you know roughly how long until they’ll arrive.
Each driver also has a rating which you can see, along with their name and vehicle information, making it easy to ensure you get into the right car.
Accidentally leave something in the taxi? No problem, because you can also message your driver after the journey. All in all it’s a slick, full featured service.
Hailo, available for iPhone and Android, is a lot like Uber, but arguably even simpler to use. Once you’ve got an account you simply select a pickup location and select a car, allowing you to request a taxi in literally just two taps.
There is a little more to it if you want of course, with the ability to track your car on a map, but there’s no need to as the app will alert you when your driver arrives anyway.
Like Uber you also get fare quotes and payment is handled automatically. Currently UK locations are limited to just London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, but that’s a good start given they’re four of the busiest cities.
Hailo is also available nationwide in Ireland and Singapore and in Barcelona and Madrid, so you can make use of it on your next trip to Spain.
Addison Lee, available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, only handles bookings for Addison Lee cabs as you might imagine, but as one of the most well-known minicab companies in London that’s not such a problem, assuming you’re also in London.
You can book a cab from the app, get a fare quote and see the estimated arrival time. Unlike many rival apps you can also book cabs in advance by up to 3 months. It’s also possible to modify bookings that you’ve made and a ‘Take Me Home’ feature makes it quick and easy to request a journey home from wherever you are.
If there’s a downside, other than you being limited to one taxi company, it’s that as a proper mini cab firm Addison Lee isn’t quite as cheap as Uber and the like tend to be, but nor is it extortionate.
Bounce, available for iPhone and Android, is an app which lets you book a TfL licensed minicab. As they’re licensed you can be confident that they’re safe and Bounce gives you a fixed fare upfront, so you know exactly how much it will cost.
It will also show you photos of the taxi and driver that are coming to pick you up, so you know exactly what to look out for and you have 5 minutes after requesting a taxi to cancel it without being charged, so you have the freedom to change your mind.
Like some other taxi apps Bounce only works in London, but for anyone visiting, living or working in London it’s a fast, safe and convenient option.
Kabbee, available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, is another London-focused app, but don’t hold that against it, because it’s really rather good.
Rather than having its own fleet of cars like Uber, Kabbee compares London’s minicab companies and gives you the cheapest quote it can find for your needs. So essentially it’s a comparison app and middle man, saving you the effort of researching prices yourself.
You can get quotes from 65 minicab companies based on price, proximity, user rating or reliability and book one straight from the app, using a map to set the pickup and drop-off locations.
Payments can be handled through the app too and you get a choice of standard, estate, or MVP cars, as well as extra features like child seats. You can also book taxis up to three months in advance and read reviews for each firm, so you know exactly what to expect.
