Tips to Choosing the Perfect Online Taxi Booking Software

If you are starting your own taxi dispatch service or online taxi booking software, one of the first questions you have to deal with is which kind of in-vehicle taxi dispatch system to install. The system has to be reliable and should be able to meet the needs of all the three parties involved – the taxi driver, the customer as well as the system administrator. Before you choose a system, you need to figure out what your needs are from such a dispatch system. Once you know what you want, you can choose from between the three typical types of systems available in the market. What to expect from a taxi dispatch systemr The expectations can vary depending on your service, customer base and the area; but some basic needs are typically required by all online booking software. Although any smartphone or tablet device can perform the basic functions of showing the available customer offers, accepting or rejecting them and showing navigation, there are certain functions that they cannot perform. Basic requirements from a taxi dispatch system are as follows: • Connectivity – Devices can connect through WiFi/ Bluetooth or through physical wiring. The former is more convenient, and supports BYOD (bring your own device) more easily, but the latter is more reliable. • Repairability - The device should be able to be repaired within a sufficient cost metric, even if a specific component or part is faulty. • Ease of usage – Are there physical buttons that may distract or take away from screen space? Is the device dependable? • Endurance – Is the device able to withstand tough, regular use inside a taxi environment? Will it last through extensive usage for a longer time? • Enough peripheral connections – How many peripheral connections do you need? Do you need a physical receipt printer? Does your system need to have a remote panic button? Do you also need a peripheral for a security camera? The number of peripherals you need will determine your choice. • Extra features – Payment processing or integrated turn by turn directions specific to a taxi service may not be provided by all kinds of systems or devices. Options available How do you ensure that your taxi dispatching software is working properly? There are three basic options from which you can choose, and each has its own pros and cons: • Commercial consumer phones and tablets – These are the same smartphones and tablets made for personal use by an average consumer, off the shelf. Adopting this approach means you can use BYOD and this may seem attractive as it limits costs at first, however the cons for this are that you might face security conce s. Additionally, BYOD also has the danger of distracting the driver as it is also their own personal device. Theft and breaking is another data conce in this scenario. • Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) – These are systems specifically made for the taxi business. They connect to all taxi peripherals, allows for easy payment processing, and printing receipts. Additionally, they are made to endure in a taxi environment and are resistant to heat, and vibration. They can also be easily repaired, whether in whole or just a faulty component. • Commercial grade tablets – These have the same functions you would get from an off the shelf consumer tablet, but they incorporate the reliability and extra functions you would get from MDTs. Your taxi dispatch system needs to be free from bugs. It’s a good idea to have an option for coupon codes, where customers could get some additional discounts. Since a taxi dispatching software is complex to build, you will need a good mobile app development company to help you.