Apps for booking taxis are nothing new, but the new iOS app for Perth-based Swan Taxis introduces the kind of features that remind you just how awesome smartphones are. The free app lets you track your cab in real time, plus estimate your fare before you even place your booking.
Because taxis all include GPS chips these days, Swan Taxis have managed to incorporate that data into the iPhone app, which means you can actively track the taxi coming to collect you using Google Maps. When your taxi is within 250 metres, you’ll receive an audible notification. Alternatively, you can press a button on the app to send out an “electronic whistle” to hail a cab.
When you go to make a booking using the app, the app will also give you an approximate fare calculation, which should help you avoid dodgy cab drivers taking you the scenic route to your destination.
At the moment, the app is iOS only, but Android and WP7 versions are supposedly in the works. The only downside is that the app only works in Perth – we need this kind of functionality for all taxi providers around the country.
[iTunes]
Andrew Browne
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:53 AMMelbourne has had this for more than a year from 131cabs. Some new features on the Perth one re “Electronic Whistle” which is nice. I haven’t been in Melbourne for more than 6 months so their’s might have been updated.
Steven
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 6:29 PMMelbourne one has the whistle as well.
poedgirl
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 12:40 PMWow, Perth actually getting something decent first for a change…
matt
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:13 PMtranslink, brisbane… please please please please do this for the buses! seeing as how the times buses will pass bus stops shares absolutely no correlation with the time table, it would be great to get an idea of when buses were ACTUALLY about to show up…
I mention translink specifically because I KNOW they have methods for tracking where which routes are, for the go cards…