How to Launch a Safety-driven Ride-hailing App In the Post-COVID-19 Era?

Flat tire. That’s the actual technical term to describe the state of the ride-hailing market due to COVID-19. The pandemic has halted proceedings abruptly, making even the giants of the sector like Uber, Lyft, etc., face huge losses. Taxi apps transformed themselves into delivery platforms as a way to manage expenses. Within a blink of an eye, two quarters of the year is gone, and nations that once encouraged people to stay indoors are stressing on restarts and economic recoveries. People have begun to carry on with their lives, except that this time around, there’s a clear emphasis on safety throughout the world. 

Speaking of safety, public transportation has gone down the pecking order among users’ mode of transportation. As a result, the demand for taxis will invariably explode in the near future. As people begin to adapt to the ‘new’ normal, there are some changes in the taxi ecosystem as well.  

Will the ride-hailing market resurrect after the massive damages of COVID-19? What are the safety strategies to consider implementing into the taxi platforms? What are the emerging areas in the ride-hailing sector that can help an entrepreneur scale the taxi business in big-time? 

Are you an avid entrepreneur who needs answers to these questions? Do you wish to launch a ride-hailing app like Uber or Lyft right away? Explore more to find out different enticing strategies that can help you during your on-demand taxi app development.  

Combating COVID-19 and the Way Ahead

These are challenging times for the taxi app market. However, the century-long taxi market forecasts a positive turnaround of events instantly in the ‘new’ normal. Here are some stats that signifies the same, 

Thus it is clear that you needn’t have doubts about investing in this remunerative segment as the sector is poised to grow towards a positive trajectory. 

Ensuring Safety throughout the Ecosystem – Create a Taxi App for Post COVID-19 Era

At the end of the day, a taxi app helps people move from A to B. But almost every taxi app does that nowadays? The real concern here for a successful platform is to move people from A to B ‘safely.’ Introducing safety strategies is an ideal way to safeguard the entire community.  

Here’s a list of strategies to consider in your application,

• Restrict the passenger count
  

  In view of protecting your drivers and passengers from virus contractions, limit your passenger count to two or three based on the severity of virus transmission in the locality. Encouraging passengers to occupy the back seats of the taxi and introducing a shield between drivers and passengers can all go a long way in maintaining safety.

• Safety gear for drivers
  

  Drivers are your core service providers who help sustain your taxi app in a highly competitive market space. Hence, it is pivotal to provide them with the fundamental precautionary gear like face masks, gloves, sanitizers, etc. Besides, providing disinfectants in view of cleaning taxis after every ride can go a long way in gaining customer trust.

• Verifying drivers for their safety standards

  Even after providing safety gear to your drivers, it is your responsibility as the regulatory authority to verify if drivers are abiding by the safety standards. You can automate the verification process with a face mask recognition software, wherein the software recognizes drivers if they are wearing face masks before and after each ride. This way, you can keep service quality in check.

• Constructive feedback from passengers
  

  At the end of the day, the customers decide the fate of any business. Hence, hearing what passengers have to say about the platform’s safety standards can help you identify areas of improvement. Besides, you can identify those members in your community who aren’t adhering to your safety guidelines, taking the necessary corrective action.

• Safety checklist before every ride

  Maintaining safety throughout the network depends on micromanaging the business at the grassroots level. Redirecting passengers and drivers to answer a COVID-19-related questionnaire before every ride helps eliminate those who show COVID-19 symptoms. This strategy can be an effective way to regulate safety. 

Exploring New Dimensions 

As an entrepreneur, one needs to adapt to the latest market trends to captivate the intended target audience. Uber explored an entirely new dimension for the taxi market named the on-demand model that changed the industry forever. You needn’t come up with out-of-the-box ideas like Uber. All you need is to innovate the existing model to revamp your Uber clone app and act as your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). 

• Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model

  
  The on-demand model cannot always guarantee success. The fact that Uber reported $2.9 billion losses in the first quarter of 2020 is an example that the on-demand model fluctuates in revenue substantially. With the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model, you can rent your taxi booking software with rental/public transit agencies. This way, those agencies utilize your software to take their business online, while you enjoy a consistent income monthly without worrying about fluctuating demand.

• Leveraging AI to predict optimized routes
  

  Drivers are risking their lives in line to ensure to provide hassle-free rides to passengers. Hence, due to constant exposure to the external environment, they have higher chances of contracting the virus. With modern advancements in technology, you can leverage AI to provide the most-optimized routes to drivers in reaching the destination, helping them avoid hotspots or containment zones. This way, you ensure drivers that the platform values their services and provides the utmost care for the same. 

The Resume from Square One for Taxi Apps in the Post COVID-19

After the gloomy COVID-19 phase, taxi apps are resuming their operations from square one. The situation provides an ideal ‘level-playing’ field for budding entrepreneurs to compete and outplay the giants of the sector. Not to mention the fact that these platforms need to cope up with the losses as well. If you’re the one venturing into the market afresh, you can channelize your budget in marketing and safety, gaining a competitive edge over others. Here are some convincing strategies that can help in scaling your taxi business, 

#1 Work extensively on your USPs 

People are spoilt for choices in today’s world. Among a variety of taxi apps out there, it is your USPs that help you stand apart from the rest. 

#2 Do not compromise on safety 

Do not commit the grave mistake of compromising safety in your taxi app. Ensure that the entire community is adhering to strict safety guidelines. 

#3 Grow your supply chain 

It would be best if you can extend your supply chain periodically based on your demand. This way, you do not run the risk of running out of drivers/cabs during peak hours. 

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has reiterated the need for safety throughout the system. At Appdupe, we can help you comprehensively with our robust end-to-end solutions. All you need to do is reach out to us, tell us your needs, and we’ll help you build a taxi empire in the shortest possible time.     

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Marketing is my soul mate and writing is my side kick. Using my writing skills to share the knowledge of app development and upcoming technologies.