Dubai is a well-known tourist spot where people come to visit all tourist attractions from day 1. To reach the destination, one of the most in-demand services is taxi booking or transportation booking to get an easy commuting experience. In order to cater to this need of people, launching a Dubai taxi booking app development will be a sufficient yet profitable idea. Like Uber and Careem, introducing your own Dubai taxi booking app has the potential to capture the market.
The business model for the development of a Dubai taxi booking app is highly lucrative due to the maximum demand for taxi booking. There are multiple benefits of having a taxi booking app in Dubai, such as people finding convenience and ease in reaching any destination with just a few taps.
Mobile applications for taxi booking also provide a hassle-free travel experience, online fare deduction, tracking routes, estimated time management, scheduled bookings, and much more. The taxi booking app market is one of the rapidly evolving businesses in the Dubai landscape.
The Workflow of the Dubai Taxi Booking App
There is no standard workflow for taxi booking app development. Developers themselves map out their applications that deliver user-friendly experiences. However, some essential aspects streamline the mobile app development process.
Ride Request > Find Nearby Driver > Ride Confirmation > Pick up Location > Tracking The Way > Drop Off > Payment > Rating.
Ride Request
The user opens the taxi booking app and enters their current location and destination. They may also specify any preferences, such as vehicle type or special requirements.
Find Nearby Driver
The app’s algorithm matches the user’s ride request with the nearest available driver based on factors, such as distance, traffic conditions, and driver availability.
Ride Confirmation
Once a nearby driver is found, the user receives a notification confirming the driver’s details (name, vehicle type, license plate number) and the estimated time of arrival (ETA). The user can choose to confirm the ride or cancel if needed.
Pick-up Location
The user proceeds to the designated pick-up location specified by the app or communicates with the driver for specific instructions.
Tracking The Way
The user can track the driver’s real-time location and ETA during the ride through the app’s map interface. This feature provides transparency and reassurance to the user about the progress of their ride.
Drop Off
Upon reaching the destination, the driver completes the ride by dropping off the user at the specified location. The app may prompt the user to confirm the drop-off and provide feedback on the ride experience.
Payment
The app automatically calculates the fare based on factors like distance traveled, time taken, and any additional charges. The user can pay for the ride using various payment options integrated into the app, such as credit/debit cards, digital wallets, or cash.
Rating
After the ride is completed, the user and the driver can rate each other and provide feedback. This two-way rating system helps maintain the quality of service by encouraging accountability and improving overall user experience.
Sought-After Features For Taxi Booking App
Real-Time Notifications
Notifying passengers of the arrival of taxis, drop-off, cancellation, or anything that passengers need to know. Notification is the best way to engage your customers with your effective marketing campaign. You can also send promotional notifications that turn your prospects into regular passengers.
Geolocation
This feature helps users figure out the location of passengers and riders. Using the geolocation feature, the user can determine where the pick-up and drop-off are. It can totally function as a map, from finding out the location to displaying pick-up and drop-off points.
Live Tracking
Live tracking promotes a safe and secure traveling experience. With the help of live tracking, Furthermore, passengers can share their live location with their friends and family for constant monitoring.
Schedule Taxi Bookings
In order to get a hassle-free booking, users can pre-book their ride at a suitable time and day. As soon as the user schedules a ride, the driver will allocate to the desired destination to pick the user up.
Multiple Payment Options
Integration with various payment methods such as credit/debit cards, digital wallets (e.g., PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay), and cash payment for user flexibility and convenience. The more payment options you give them, the more excellent experience you can provide your customers.
Multiple Drop-offs Within One Ride
This feature helps passengers to select multiple drop-offs in a single ride. By choosing multiple destinations, users can book a car for long hours to travel throughout Dubai to visit tourist attractions.
Monetization and Discounts
Offering discounts is always a good idea to attract more customers. In order to make your Dubai taxi booking app services profitable, you can create a monetization and discounts strategy that makes customers happy and grows your business exponentially. You can offer discounts via promo codes, manage through the admin panel, and also offer rewards, discounts, or loyalty programs for frequent users to incentivize repeat usage and enhance customer loyalty.
Booking & Travel History
An effective taxi booking app must contain previous records of rides, fares, and time of departure & arrival. The list contains all information on previous rides and destinations. Moreover, users can repeat passages and save destinations like home, office, friend’s home, etc.
Feedback & Ratings
The feature of feedback and ratings is worth displaying after ride completion. It allows passengers to leave feedback and give ratings to ensure the credibility of the driver. The ratings also show on the drivers’ profiles so people can see and confirm the rides after seeing others’ feedback.
Driver Incentive Programs
Implement incentive programs for drivers, such as bonuses for completing a certain number of rides or providing excellent service, to attract and retain quality drivers. Moreover, it increases employment opportunities throughout the UAE.
Emergency Assistance Button
It incorporates an emergency button or feature that users can activate in case of emergencies. It connects them directly to emergency services or notifies pre-set emergency contacts like family, friends, etc.
In-App Messaging/Calls
It enables seamless communication between users and drivers within the app to coordinate and clarify details such as pick-up locations or special instructions. Passengers and drivers also get access to their contact numbers to communicate the exact location, estimated time, etc.
Read more: Reason Why You Need To Build Rideshare Apps Like Uber
How Much Does It Cost To Build a Taxi Booking App in Dubai?
The cost of building a Dubai taxi booking app can vary widely depending on several factors, but here’s a breakdown to give you an idea:
Range: Expect the cost to fall between AED 44,000 and AED 100,000 (approximately $12,000 – $27,000) for a basic to feature-rich app.
Key Factors Impacting Cost
- Features: The number and complexity of features you want will significantly affect the price. Basic features like booking, tracking, and payments are cheaper than advanced features like AI-powered route optimization, in-app chat, and multi-lingual support.
- Development approach: Building from scratch will be more expensive than using pre-built templates or low-code platforms.
- Development team: Hiring freelance developers can be cheaper than agencies, but might lack specific expertise or project management skills.
- App platforms: Developing for both iOS and Android will cost more than just one platform.
Additional Considerations
- Market research: Understanding the existing competition and target audience is crucial before development.
- Business model: Define your revenue streams and how the app will be profitable.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Consider starting with a basic version with core features to test the market and iterate based on user feedback before investing in a full-fledged app.
Wrapping Up
By incorporating these sought-after features, a taxi booking app can provide a comprehensive and user-friendly experience, meeting the needs and expectations of both passengers and drivers while standing out in a competitive market. The demand for Dubai taxi booking apps will never fade due to ever-evolving standards of living.
Let’s build a meaningful app that fulfills market demand with exponential business growth. With MMC Global, you can get a qualified mobile app development team to help you build a Dubai taxi booking app with the utmost functionalities and advanced features.