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How to Build a Taxi Booking App Like Curb?

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The transportation industry has undergone significant transformation, with the advent of technology. Projections indicate that the on-demand transportation industry valued at $153.2 billion in 2022 globally is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2023-2031, reaching $287.6 billion by 2031. Driven by a shift towards convenience and accessibility, taxi booking apps have thus, become the foundation for urban transportation.

With tech giants like Curb redefining the industry, businesses are progressively looking for opportunities to tap into the market. Therefore, with this increasing influence in the market, businesses in this sector should start investing in technology and launch an efficient and reliable taxi booking app. 

In this blog, we will delve into the critical aspects, technological considerations, and strategic steps to building an app that mirrors the success of the famous taxi booking app Curb.

What is Curb?

Formerly known as TaxiMagic, Curb is a popular ride-hailing app that connects passengers with licensed, professional taxi drivers across the United States. 

The app partners with professional taxi companies and provides a seamless, reliable transportation experience by leveraging modern technology while integrating with the traditional taxi industry. Curb bridges the gap between the traditional taxi service model and the contemporary on-demand ride-hailing trend, making it a preferred choice for millions of users. 

Here are some insights from Curb’s achievements:

How Does a Taxi App Like Curb Work?

The taxi booking app ‘Curb’ connects passengers with licensed, professional taxi drivers in their area easily with the help of a smartphone. Here’s the basic workflow how the Curb taxi app works:

  • Booking a Ride: Passengers book a ride through the platform by providing the essential details—pickup and drop-off locations, vehicle type, and preferred payment method.
  • Driver Matching: The ride request then matches the passengers with available drivers based on their proximity and availability.
  • Ride Information: Comprehensive details are shared with both the stakeholders along with real-time navigation.
  • Ride Initiation: The passenger shares a unique OTP to initiate the ride once the driver reaches the pick-up point.
  • Ride Completion and Ratings: Upon reaching the destination, the passenger makes the payment and shares the ride experience through the platform.

Curb Revenue Generation Model:

The prominent taxi app operates on a diversified revenue generation model, leveraging multiple revenue streams to ensure maximum profitability. Below are the primary revenue sources:

  • Commission Per Ride: A percentage of the fare is collected from the drivers for each completed ride, serving as the app’s core revenue stream.
  • Subscription Plans: Offering exclusive discounts through premium subscriptions to generate recurring revenue.
  • Third-Party Advertising: Displaying ads and promotions by partnering with local businesses within the app to generate revenue through ad placements.
  • Ride Cancellation Charges: Charging users for late cancellations to ensure compensation for lost opportunities.
  • Surge Pricing: Implementing dynamic pricing during peak hours.
  • Partnerships and Collaborations: Strategic partnerships with businesses to expand service offerings and generate revenue through shared services.
  • Extended Wait Time Charges: Implementing penalties for extended wait time to compensate drivers for their time.

Want to Launch A Taxi App Similar to Curb?

Key Features to Build a Taxi App Like Curb:

Building a competitive taxi booking app like Curb necessitates the integration of robust, user-centric features that prioritize convenience, efficiency, as well as passenger safety. To achieve this, the system must seamlessly connect its three critical interfaces— Passenger App, Driver App, and Admin Panel

These three interconnected interfaces must work together smoothly to provide a unified and reliable taxi booking experience. By maintaining high performance across all components, businesses can foster trust and loyalty among their users.

Core features of each interface:

Passenger AppDriver AppAdmin Panel
Registration & Profile ManagementDriver Registration & VerificationUser Management
Taxi BookingRide Requests ManagementVehicle Categories
Fare CalculationAvailability ToggleCommission Management
Real-Time TrackingNavigation & Route OptimizationSubscription Order Management
Diverse Payment OptionsEarnings TrackersGeo-Fencing
Ratings & ReviewsRatings & ReviewsWithdrawal request Management
In-App Messaging & CallingIn-App Chat & CallReports & Analytics
Emergency SOS ButtonRide HistoryDiscounts Management

Strategic Steps to Building a Curb-Like Taxi App

Mirroring the success of Curb and launching a taxi app requires strategic planning, understanding market requirements, and mindful execution. With the soaring demand for ride-hailing solutions, building a reliable taxi app promises significant business opportunities. 

Here are some key steps to help you build a taxi app like Curb:

1. Conduct Market Research

Conducting thorough market research is crucial to understand industry dynamics, growth potential, and user behavior. Following this approach allows you to identify your target customers, analyze their needs, and uncover gaps in existing solutions. 

In addition, research competitors and evaluate their strengths & weaknesses. This will enable you to position your taxi app differently. Leverage insights from market research reports to refine your offering and align your app with user expectations. This approach, thus, ensures a strong competitive advantage in the transportation industry.

2. Define a Clear Value Proposition

Your taxi booking app must deliver some unique value to set it apart from the competitors. The value proposition must address some specific market pain points, whether it is competitive pricing, advanced safety measures, underserved service offerings, superior driver incentives, or exclusive benefits for passengers. You must clearly communicate the benefits for all the stakeholders. 

A compelling and unique value proposition will position your app as a viable and attractive alternative.

3. List your Business Requirements

Outline the functional and non-functional requirements of your taxi booking app. Specify your unique business model and identify the core features, integrations, and payment gateways you want in your taxi app. Also, mention some advanced features and functionalities that will differentiate your app from other taxi service apps available in the market.

These detailed business requirements provide a detailed roadmap for your taxi app development while aligning with operational goals.

4. Choose a Development Approach

Building a taxi app primarily involves two key approaches such as custom development and readymade software. 

  • Custom Development: Custom developing an app from scratch involves extensive planning, designing, coding, as well as testing. This approach offers businesses with complete control over infrastructure and align the app according to their unique brand identity.
  • Readymade Software: These are off-the-shelf solutions that come pre-built with all the essential features and functionalities to build a taxi booking app. These solutions offer businesses with flexibility to reflect their unique value proposition and help build a taxi app quickly in no time. 

Explore an Advanced Readymade Software to Build Your Own Taxi App

Custom Development v/s Readymade Software

When choosing between Custom Development and Readymade Software, businesses must weigh their unique requirements, timelines, and budgets. Both approaches offer distinct advantages and considerations, depending on operational goals and scalability requirements. 

Below is an in-depth look at the pros and cons of each:

#1. Pros of Custom Development:

  • Personalization: Custom-built app specifically caters to unique workflows, goals, and challenges of the business.
  • Flexibility: Offers unparalleled adaptability to integrate features, functionalities, and integrations.
  • Seamless Integration: Can be customized seamlessly to integrate with an existing system, if any.

#2. Cons of Custom Development:

  • Longer Development Time: Requires extensive time for planning, coding, testing, and deployment, delaying market entry.
  • High Investment: Development costs are significantly higher due to resource allocation and infrastructure requirements.
  • Complex and Uncertain: Involves risks due to unexpected bugs in code, delays, and budget overruns.
  • Maintenance and Updates: Demands frequent updates and maintenance that require both time and financial commitment.

#3. Pros of Readymade Software:

  • Cost-Effective: Considerably more affordable, often costing up to three times less than custom app development.
  • Quick Market Entry: Can be launched in as little as one to two weeks, ensuring faster time-to-market.  
  • Flexible and Scalable: Many platforms allow rebranding to align with unique business identity and also support future scalability.
  • Ownership: Offers complete ownership and control over hosting the server in case you go with self-hosted readymade software.
  • Pre-Tested: Thoroughly tested for bugs that ensure reliability and reduced deployment risks.

#4. Cons of Readymade Software:

  • Subscription or Licensing Fees: SaaS-based solutions require monthly recurring costs, whereas self-hosted software demands a one-time upfront payment.
  • Vendor Dependence: Reliance on the software provider for updates, support, and hosting may be a limiting factor for cloud-based solutions.

Our Recommendation

After closely analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach above, utilizing a self-hosted readymade software is an optimal choice when building your own app like Curb. 

Self-hosted solutions offer business owners complete control over the infrastructure and allow them to manage the software for a lifetime on their preferred server (in-house or some third-party server). Thus, leveraging a self-hosted readymade software like VivoCabs helps businesses launch their taxi apps cost-effectively and in significantly less time than custom development. This approach offers pre-built, advanced features and APIs that are essential for building your taxi app, providing a swift market entry. 

Apart from this, self-hosted readymade softwares are already tried-and-tested which reduces the risk of encountering any unexpected bugs and operational challenges. Moreover, these software also empowers business owners to rebrand the app according to their unique business requirements. Ultimately, ensuring all requirements are met without compromising.

Want to Build Your Own Successful Taxi App Like Curb?

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