Taxi Driver Online

Been a while since we've read an article about a new taxi app...


“Revolutionising” new taxi app to be launched in Southampton in October

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/196221 ... n-october/

A NEW taxi app is launching in Southampton this month.

The app - Holler Taxi - aims to put ‘power back into the hands of the firms and the user’ and will debut in Southampton, before being rolled out across the south coast and then the UK.

‘Holler Taxi’ is the brainchild of Kevin Leftwich and has been a project six years in the making.

Kevin, the managing director of the company, says he came up with the concept before Uber became popular.

He said the app is different to Uber because it shows the choice available to the user and takes the fares digitally on behalf of the drivers/firms.

Mr Leftwich says the app fully integrates with the main taxi dispatch systems, so once linked in, taxi firms don’t have to anymore admin work.

And it won’t dictate the fare charges to the company.

Instead, the company has the fare charges set up their end, so it automatically works out the fare they’re charging and displays to the user.

Unlike Uber and similar companies, Holler does not have its own drivers or licence, but aims to connect fares with the taxi firms and private hires in the area.

And it’s been heralded by cabbies in Southampton, who said it could help to bring back student customers who primarily use Uber.

Ian Hall, chairman of the Southampton Hackney Private Hire Association said: “If it takes away from Uber and gives work back to taxi drivers, who’ve lost a lot of student work, then good luck to him.”

Perry McMillan, a taxi driver and Unite Union representative, said he was “100 per cent behind Holler”.

“I urge people to use traditional taxis, we’re there to help the public.

“You’re assured of local knowledge and a little chat”, he told the Daily Echo.

Joe Jones, of Door to Door Cars, added: “It’s a good idea and a good concept if they can provide work to taxi firms that sign up to them.”

And no doubt world domination in six year or so, so that'll be 12 years since he started on the project


Even giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming he's correct, there's something in business called 'first mover advantage', and I suspect he's missed the boat in that regard if it's taken him six years to get the thing up and running


The explanation of how it all works is about as clunky as the English here

How the average reader of the Daily Echo perceives all this is anyone's guess...


Reminds me of similar apps, like the one in Barrow, which I don't think have conquered the world yet.

But I don't see why conventional firms would welcome this if it's taking work from them merely to funnel it back. And if they're using this app then they're using the same app as their current competitors. And if Uber is such a threat then presumably they're using their own app for bookings already.

I suspect the people quoted as welcoming the app just view it as potentially taking work back from Uber. But presumably the conventional trade will just lose as much work to this app, which will become another middleman for them.

didn't something similar launch in Southampton two or 3 years ago ?

maybe I was thinking of this http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33522&hilit=southampton+app

or getting mixed up with Bournemouth http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33785&hilit=southampton+app

well every South coast town is the same to me a beach a pier loads of trendy wine bars and gay bars and clubs plus graffiti everywhere and a few sailors

_________________
Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Maybe you were thinking of the Queen Mary 2, or similar?

No pedants pointing out that they don't actually *launch* ships in Southampton, please

Well maybe they do, maybe they don't

_________________
Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Is that something someone should be proud off FFS?

Talk about missing the boat.

_________________
IDFIMH

well he is in Southampton plenty to miss there

_________________
Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !