Member Article

Newcastle taxi firm hails APP a success

A new app which looks set to revolutionise the way that we book taxis has been launched by a Newcastle taxi company.

LA Taxi’s based in Jesmond, have worked in conjunction with Autocab to perfect the new app which is available for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android smart phones.

Just three years after two of Newcastle’s leading taxi firms merged, LA Taxi’s has established itself as one of the North East’s fastest growing businesses with the largest fleet in Newcastle, a state of the art call centre and their vehicles are all fitted with credit and debit card terminals using 3D security chip and pin technology.

LA Taxis Business Development Manager, Steve McGuinness believes the app is one of the first of its kind in the UK specifically developed for a dedicated taxi company and available to use on all smart phones now.

“There are other taxi related apps out there to help you find a local taxi, but none which actually allow you to book a journey from a specific company, “he said.” A few taps on your smartphone is all it takes to tell our sophisticated e-booker system where you are, where you want to go and at what time. It’s a great way to avoid busy phone lines and long taxi queues.”

The revolutionary new app, which is also linked with a QR code, also contains millions of identity points within its system such as street names, buildings and places of interest all linked by GPS technology so that customers can easily request a taxi even if they don’t know their exact location.

McGuinness has identified that the app will be particularly useful for environments where phone calls are banned or frowned upon such as in theatres, cinemas or hospitals and for people with hearing or speech difficulties who find it impossible to use traditional telephones to book their taxi. He also believes that another group that may embrace the new technology are Newcastle’s 50,000 plus students.

“Students live with their smart phones 24/7 and many are new to the city. We believe that they will love this new app and use it to book their taxis by using technology they are familiar with and without having to speak to anyone. It is so much more convenient for them and another example of how we at LA Taxis are constantly looking at ways to improve what we do particularly with technology and safety. All of our telephone calls are monitored and traceable and every vehicle is GPS tracked with all drivers, both male and female being uniformed and enhanced CRB checked. Our taxis really do go the extra mile for our customers,” he said. “It’s great that we’ve been able to launch this app just before the influx of new students comes into Newcastle.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Keith Newman .