With users picking up on-demand taxi booking with more enthusiasm than ever, the market is soaring at a terrific pace. That makes it one of the most attractive options for the entrepreneurs and innovators to invest in on-demand taxi booking app development. To help our friends with the same, here’s a guide by Matellio experts where we are going to explore the facets of a taxi booking app and compete with the giant- Uber. So, if you too are wondering how to make apps like Uber (or better), jump right in. We have all the answers you need.
Let’s know Uber a little better first
Available across 65 countries and over 600 cities globally, Uber is a taxi booking app rapidly and reliably in a few minutes, regardless of which time of the day it is. So basically, you need not scan through the parking spaces or walk down the long aisle to find a taxi. Uber makes it all the more easier.
- Launch the app and tell them where you are heading to.
- App shares your current location with the driver who would come all the way for pick up.
- Further, driver details like Name and Image along with the Vehicle details will be at your fingertips.
- Onboard the taxi when the driver is at your location.
- Pay using well-integrated payment wallets.
- Review the driver and Uber experience.
You’re done here!!!
What is Uber’s market share?
Uber’s market share of the US ride-hailing market is estimated at around 65 to 69%. Further, the valuation of Uber in 2018 was $72 billion. Additionally, here are some statistics worth talking about here:
- Over 14 million Uber trips are completed each day.
- Uber drivers number 3.9 million worldwide
- Average Uber driver income is $364/month
- There are 75 million Uber passengers worldwide
Source: Business of Apps
Who are the biggest players in the on-demand taxi booking app market?
#1. Ola
Ola cab is the fastest and easiest way to book a ride to your preferred destination. Once you are registered using your email ID or contact number, you are all set to be welcomed with a user-friendly screen that allows ride booking. Additionally, the app features intuitive payment functionality for your to complete the bookings easily. Simply choose the pickup and drop location, the ap makes it easier than ever to find the best ride. Available across iOS and Android, Ola currently has more than 50,000,000 installs.
#2. Lyft
Lyft helps you avail affordable rides in as less as few minutes. Ride-sharing with Lyft lets you request a car with the tap of a button and get picked up by a nearby friendly driver who’ll take you to your destination right away. The creators boast of offering cheaper, faster, and easy to use alternative to the on-demand taxi booking apps like Uber.
#3. MyTaxi
MyTaxi is a location-dependent taxi app that simplifies the process of finding a taxi to reach next destination. With a number of features to make your trip a breeze, mytaxi gets you on your way in a matter of minutes – safely, quickly and easily! With this mobile app, you can perform a wide range of functions including booking licensed taxis in advance, pay in-app, driver ratings, address book creation, and a lot more.
#4. GroundLink
GroundLink is a car service where users can order a car and schedule a future ride online or through its mobile phone app. It claims of offering professional black car service for reliable corporate travel worldwide. Schedule a ride to pick you up at the airport right at the gate, or include stops on your way. GroundLink is the industry’s most reliable and best value black car service, with an industry leading 24/7 customer service team and services in over 440 cities, and 110 countries worldwide.
#5. Didi Chuxing
With over 5,000,000+ installs, DiDi is the world’s leading rideshare app for ordering fast and reliable rides, has landed Down Under. It has over 550 million users worldwide taking 30 million rides a day, you can rely on DiDi for a ride come rain, hail or shine. Join us in Australia on our journey to move cities in smarter, more efficient ways, giving you more time to enjoy life.
How does Taxi-booking Apps Like Uber Work?
The server identifies passenger’s exact location using GPS functionality. It scans the system for the nearest available driver. The details are transferred within the system and the ride requests are created. The same are shared with the respective users. Driver can approach to the pick up location hence and the rider is able to track it on the interactive maps that come as an integrated part of the taxi-booking app. Once the passenger is onboard, the Driver can mark the ride as active. The best route is made available for the Driver as well as the rider. Once the ride is marked complete, both the users receive fare breakup.
Features in the Passenger-facing app
#1. Registration: This can be made possible using various options like email, phone number, social media integration, etc.
#2. Taxi Booking: This is the core feature of a taxi booking app. It basically corresponds to the screen wherein user can enter the address, select the type of car, set pickup location, etc.
#3. Fare Calculator: Allows customers to check fare they are expected to pay for the ride. Users will be required to enter the pickup and drop locations for the same.
#4. Driver Tracking: Feature enables users to observe driver’s movements to stay updated about his location as he approaches closer to the pick-up location and drop location during the ride.
#5. Ride Cancellation: Allows users to cancel the ride that they no longer wish to take.
#6. Schedule Trip: Lets you schedule trip in advance according to preferred time, date, and convenience.
#7. Favorite Destination: Let the users mark their favorite destination so they don’t have to face hassles of selecting again and again.
#8. Payment: Allows users the flexibility to pay using their preferred payment methods including Credit/ debit cards, Netbanking, UPI, wallets, etc.
#9. Split Payment: Allows fellow travellers to split the payment for a ride.
#10. Trip History: Allows the users to have a comprehensive view of their previous rides segregated under categories like completed, upcoming, and canceled. Ride details shall include pick-up and drop locations, fare, etc.
#11. Driver Review: Let the users share a review about the drivers who onboard them to the drop locations, and display the same for other users.
#12. Push Notifications: It acts as a vital element for informing users about vital details like Trip request status, driver arrival time, driver and car details, etc.
#13. Gamification and Discounts: This would include options ike Stars, Badges, Offers, Coupons, or Codes, etc. to boost customer acquisition and retention rate.
#14. Voice Commands: This will allow users to use voice commands to user the app.
#15. Panic Button/ SoS Button: This will allow users to ride securely. They can simply push the panic button if ever the need be.
Features in the driver-facing mobile app
#1. Driver Profile and Status: This will enable drivers to keep their profiles updated. Compliance is also a part of this. As users upload the images of their license, vehicle insurance, etc., it’ll straightaway be transferred to the Admins who shall take relevant actions.
#2. Trip Alert: This will allows drivers to receive trip orders with all the details like location, route, travel history, etc. They can simply accept or reject the same from this screen.
#3. Trip History: This will enable Drivers to check records of completed and cancelled trips along with the fare.
#4. My Destination: This would allow the drivers to enter predefined routes as they head back home so that they are only assigned the trips that fall in between.
#5. Route Selection: There are multiple routes to certain location. While the app should be able to get the best one for the drivers, there should also be an option to choose the route as they like.
#6. Refer Driver: With this feature, drivers shall get a referral code to share with other drivers. They should be able to Invite Friends onboard and relish privileges accordingly.
#7. SOS Contacts: Just like user-facing app, this feature will allow Drivers to add SOS contacts. A single tap will send an SOS message/ call to the pre-specified contacts.
#8. Rider Review: Allows the driver to rate an review the driver. Additionally, Drivers can check the reviews provided for them by the Riders.
Features in the Admin Panel
Admins are the central control point of the taxi booking app who shall be responsible for the organization and control of driver’s processes while keeping track of customer delight. For this, a web-based admin panel shall be developed to manage customer, drivers, orders, locations, payments, and other business processes.
Features to include in the Admin panel would include:
- Location and fare management
- Driver and user management
- Booking management
- Vehicle management
- Review driver’s orders and payoffs
- Check ratings and reviews
- Notification management
- System CMS and FAQs
- Promotions and discount management
- User support
How much does it cost to build apps like Uber?
Given that the features are expected to increase/ decrease, the question is pretty tricky. The cost to build apps like Uber depends on factors like:
Choice of platform:
App owners can choose from options like- Android app development/ iOS app development. However, if they want an app developed for both, that is iOS and Android, they can also opt for a cost-effective development by opting for cross-platform app development.
Features of be included
Do you want to start with an MVP that consists just the basic features or go for a full-fledged mobile app? The choice will determine the cost of your mobile app directly.
Time required to build apps like Uber
While it may vary significantly, here is a rough estimate of the required hours:
- UI/ UX Design- 160-180 hours
- High-level design- 60-80 hours
- Registration feature (With social media integration)- 40-60 hours
- Profile feature- 40-60 hours
- Taxi booking- 100-120 hours
- Booking feature for drivers- 50-60 Hours
- Pickup location and route- 40-60 Hours
- Booking history- 20-30 hours
- Payment integration- 50-70 hours
- Database- 20-30 hours
- Business logic implementation- 200-220 hours
- Admin dashboard- 150-160 hours
- Testing- 100-120 hours
The number of hours mentioned above is approx. and for accurate numbers, contact Matellio Experts.
Cost to build apps like Uber
Accordingly, the cost to develop MVP for apps like Uber will depend on multiple factors. Let us know your requirements in details and we shall help you estimate the exact cost with free consultation.
Develop on-demand taxi booking app with Matellio
Matellio is a global provider of best-in-class software engineering services. With over two decades of experience, our team has fostered digital edge for numerous ideas through expert IT solutions. We take pride in having delivered more than 600 successful projects across 107 nations while assisting clients through the journey of ideation to deployment. Our user-centric approach and customer-friendly methodology enable us to address each project with time-tested expertise that renders maximum client satisfaction. Aiming to be irreplaceable, we take pride in engineering solutions that support us to develop long-lasting relationships with clients as we continue delivering phenomenal services.
Disclaimer: Please note that the content of this blog including links, texts, images, and graphics is only meant for informational purposes. We do not intend to infringe any copyright policy or do not possess any third-party material. If you have issues related to any of our content or images, kindly drop your message at info@matellio.com
