Take a trip down memory lane and think back to 2011 when the only way to get around London was to wave to a black cab on the crowded streets and hope the driver stopped to pick you up. Then, in 2012, the Uber company arrived and the taxi game was changed forever. With Uber, you could simply book a car on its app within seconds.
Given the explosive growth of this giant ride-sharing service, it is normal to think that it is impossible to win against it. However, Uber is by no means the only taxi app in town that can help you get from point A to point B.
Many other taxi apps can change the way people hail and share taxi rides. Here are the next-generation taxi apps to know other than Uber which are also doing great in the taxi app industry:
Lyft
Lyft company is known as one of the biggest competitors of Uber in many areas, especially in the USA. Both Uber and Lyft offer pretty similar services to their customers. However, compared to Uber, Lyft is trying to ditch the luxurious and serious image that Uber has by promoting their services in a friendlier and cuddlier image.
Both Uber’s and Lyft’s apps have pretty similar features including carpooling features and the feature that allows fare splitting. Moreover, similar to Uber, Lyft’s app surges the rates in times of high demand.
Bolt
Bolt first arrived in London under the name of Taxify in 2017. However, the company was kicked out just a few days later by the TfL as the company did not acquire the necessary licensing.
However, this year, the company has been relaunched under the name Bolt and has already started to become one of the taxi services that is doing great.
Gett
Gett is an Israeli start-up that is already offering its services in many parts of the world including Russia, Israel, and London. Compared to Uber or Lyft, the company offers a flat pricing option and also collaborates with taxi drivers who are licensed.
The Gett app allows you to hail one of the black cabs which are very famous in London. However, you will likely be paying more than you would have for an Uber. Moreover, there is also a small drawback to the company’s flat pricing policy. At times of high demand, it can be a bit more difficult to hail one black cab on your Gett app as the taxis are more likely to be taken by people who are on the street.
Although the company still didn’t manage to win against Uber in terms of popularity, the company is already considered a great competitor for Uber services. Moreover, Gett is also offering its services in many other cities than London including Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, and many other cities.
Addison Lee
Addison Lee is a company that joined the taxi game long before Uber arrived in London. The name of the company was pretty famous when it came down to ride-hailing apps for a long time. But, unfortunately, the company seemed to face some challenges to conform with the latest consumer habits and trends since Uber joined the ride-hailing scene which made it lose some of its popularity.
Addison Lee services are still a reliable choice for Londoners when Uber is surging prices or for those who need an airport transfer that can be booked early. However, the company also has a few drawbacks in terms of the fact that it does not operate anywhere outside of London and sometimes the prices can be a little bit more expensive than what an Uber would cost.
Xooox
Xooox is a London-based start-up that has, pretty recently, joined the taxi game but it is already picking momentum. The company is differentiating itself from the other ride-hailing apps with a unique policy. First of all, the app allows customers to make well-informed choices by comparing the prices and times from different taxi companies, the size of the vehicle, and even the emissions output before booking a taxi in the app.
Moreover, the company’s policy also works differently for drivers who can set their rates and travel boundaries.
ViaVan
If you want a more environmentally friendly approach to taxi-hailing and want to not feel guilty for clogging up the roads only for your journey around the town, you can choose the ViaVan bus. ViaVan allows customers to see the fares depending on the zone they are in, be it zone 1 or zone 2. Also, customers can find real-time matches with other riders who are going the same way as them so that they can just jump aboard and share the journey. This helps them benefit from lower costs and to avoid traffic congestion.
The company acquired its license from the TfL in July for three additional years so the services of ViaVan are here to stay for sure.
MyTaxi
In 2016, the UK-based taxi-hailing app Hailo joined forces with the European taxi-hailing company MyTaxi, resulting in MyTaxi becoming the largest taxi app in Europe. So, there is no point in looking for Hailo because the company doesn’t exist anymore.
The taxi-hailing app of MyTaxi is pretty similar to what Uber’s app offers. The only difference is that the taxis from MyTaxi are licensed which means that customers don’t have to deal with surging prices at times of high demand.
With such a great number of taxi-hailing apps, not only customers but also potential drivers have a pool of choices they can choose from. Those who want to earn an extra income can become licensed drivers and work for one of those companies. And, it is easier than anyone would think. For example, to become an Uber driver-partner, all you need is to undergo driver and criminal screenings, have the right Uber taxi insurance cover, and have a vehicle that meets Uber’s vehicle criteria.
As more and more ride-hailing apps are being launched in London, and some also operate outside of London, customers have a pool of choices in terms of the right company to take them from point A to point B.