A few months back, I was fortunate enough to meet Mr Wally Sievers, Managing Director of Suburban Taxis, in Adelaide. He showed me a demo of the new Suburban Taxis iPhone app, which allows you to book a taxi, get fare estimates and find your nearest taxi rank.

First, you need to register with Suburban Taxis, and then log into the app. The interface isn’t overly intuitive, but you eventually find your way around. The app relies on the GPS built into the iPhone to provide its core features. The ‘iHail’ function allows you to hail a taxi from your current (or nearest suitable) location, with the press of a button. Alternatively, if you don’t require the taxi immediately, you can enter in the booking details to make your request.

By far the neatest thing about this app, is the real-time feedback you receive for a booking. You can see when your booking has been accepted, track your taxi on a map as it approaches your pickup location and receive an email notification when your taxi is nearby. This feature spells an end to waiting outside, longer than you should, for your taxi to arrive.

This free app is now available from the iTunes App Store, with an Android version in the works.

 The Good

• An innovative way to book a taxi.
• Easier than calling or using the website to book.
• Watching your taxi head towards you on the map, is simply cool!

 The Bad

• Interface and overall usability could be improved.
• Push notifications would work better than email notifications.

Conclusion

This is a great innovation from Suburban Taxis. There are a few aspects that need polishing, but this app works and has done the job, each time I’ve used it. I have switched taxi companies, as a result, and will continue to use Suburban Taxis, thanks to this app.

Rating: 4/5