10 transport mobile apps that redefine mobility in Asia

Cloud based technologies for taxi mobility and ride-sharing apps for individual customers are changing the name of the transportation game in Asia. No matter how much one would decry the change, the initial hiccups would soon be streamlined to make the taxi hailing and ride-sharing a better experience for the end users.

Smart apps come as the most desirable shift in the way the world has learnt to move between destinations on an everyday basis. The best part is it is happening simultaneously all over the world. Gone are the days when one part of the globe passed it on to another continent as best practice.

The traditional way of hailing a taxi is now gone faster than we ever imagined and witnessing never-ending innovations. While some companies are ride sharing apps, some are building their own indigenous apps and cloud-tech to get a huge slice of this paradigm shift.

The world’s taxi industry, which was worth $10 billion just a few years ago, has taken a massive hit with this change.
There are some of the major players that have made a quick impression in this changing scenario. Their success stories are about being early birds. It’s their innovative drive that has made them the prominent names in the sector.

Uber
When Uber, the US startup, expanded to Beijing, it had touched the magic number of 100. The numbers of cities that have taken to Uber are growing with every passing day. It is often seen as a direct rival to taxis. Uber’s service has opened new vistas for people to innovate and grow new businesses in and across the world without having to lose on precious resources.

Ola
This company is present in Tier-I Indian cities that have witnessed huge growth spurt, and has plans of slowly spreading its wings in other parts of the country and the world too. With over 10,000 vehicles on its network, this app uses real time navigation to record booking from a customer. Its niche is in the excellent understanding of Indian market, by way of having released various sizes of cars that can suit the customer’s needs.

GrabTaxi
Present in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh, GrabTaxi is the result of Malaysian startup MyTeksi’s ambitious plans. It is available for various platforms and operating systems.

Vgo
A venture of Vesess Inc that is based out of SriLanka, Vgo is a web-based management app that can handle business operations entirely, both on Internet and mobile along with booking process. It is completely flexible; open to customization by each taxi company that decides to use the app. Operators can track Vgo drivers in real time, make and change online bookings, and get a detailed overview of their complete fleet. The company is present in Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Australia.

Didi Dache-Kuaidi Dache
Didi Dache-Kuaidi Dache, an irresistible merger of two most rivaled and ambitious players in the domestic taxi sector from China, has created some serious setback for Uber’s growth potential in this economically most prominent Asian nation. AliBaba, China’s most fabled story of eCommerce had invested in Kuaidi Dache, welcomed the merger which opened the gates of higher growth and greater tapping of potential.

Global Taxi Dispatch
A cloud based software that allows instant booking, live tracking of taxis, simple driver and customer apps, dedicated platform manager and white labelling for taxi companies, GTD can be tailored to suit start up fleets, SMEs and large scale companies. The dispatching software comes with two ways communication text, using GPRS accessed through only one device and a call centre to boot.

TaxiForSure
An aggregator of car rentals, much like Ola and Uber, TaxiForSure works with various taxi operators enabling them with technology and growth potential. Having been bought over by Ola Cabs early this year to beat competitors like Uber at a $200 million deal and to grab the biggest slice of taxi market in India, TaxiForSure continues to work independently of Ola.

My Cab Services
This is a solution that was tailored to design and manage taxi fleets in various sizes. Claiming to be one of the most comprehensive dispatch apps, My Cab Services has the most prominent presence in India. Its USP is the call talking and dispatching module to ensure most efficient system of reaching the customer fast and swift, and keeping the user interface clean and uncomplicated, considering the heterogeneous customer base that may not be fully comfortable using apps.

TaxiStartup
This is a new set of dispatch that is helping companies get onboard with the changing set of taxi-hiring rules. The tools include mobile and web booking with added customer interface that is uncomplicated and easy to use. The app can be hired by any company that plans to run its own fleet of taxis, with due customization at a very economically viable price. TaxiStartup empowers anyone who wants to have their own Uber, Hailo or GetTaxi without having to spend way too much on building the whole thing.

Taxi Finder
Highly adaptable for fleet management requirements, Taxi Finder is a free fleet management and dispatching software. Empowered with cloud dispatch system that can make booking based on customers’ calls, it has inbuilt parameters to save time and plan efficient dispatching of the taxi on various priorities. It also has easy management for corporate companies with ride details being integrated into the end user company’s website or internet applications.

Some of the taxi-booking apps that are used by individual customers have been steadily gaining popularity for their easy navigation and efficient services across Asia.
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