Hailo Hits The Streets Of Toronto
Ever tried getting a cab in a busy downtown or a lightly traveled suburb? It’s a pain isn’t it? But that’s about to change. I was tipped off to a new app for iOS and Android called Hailo which is good for passengers and taxi drivers. First, here’s why it’s good for passengers:
- Hail in two taps. With Hailo you can hail a taxi from your home, office or restaurant and watch it arrive in real time.
- Safe and reliable. No more wandering the streets looking for a taxi. Hailo uses only licensed Toronto taxi drivers and provides every customer with the driver’s photo, first name and rating before he or she arrives to pick you up.
- Effortless payment. Hailo’s integrated smartphone payment system means customers simply hop out of the cab at the end of a ride without having to hand over a credit card. An electronic receipt is sent immediately.
Now for the taxi drivers:
- A lower cost burden. Currently, almost 40 cents of every dollar that a shift driver makes goes to pay people other than the driver – with Hailo, 85 cents on the dollar stays in a driver’s pocket. Hailo eliminates the need for dispatch fees and other charges so drivers pay only when they take a fare through the system.
- An easier way to make money. Cabs run empty in Toronto about 60% of the time. By helping drivers work smarter, not harder, Hailo drivers can increase revenues by 20-30%. Plus, the Hailo network allows drivers to share information about high demand areas or traffic congestion.
- A safer ride. Drivers know who their passengers are, eliminating fare skipping.
Sounds like a “win-win” to me. One thing to keep in mind is that Toronto is the latest city that Hailo covers. They’re also in London, New York, Dublin, Chicago and Boston. You can grab the app on the Apple App Store and on Google Play now for free. It’s also coming soon for Blackberry and Windows Phone users.
I’ll be downloading and reviewing this soon.
October 18, 2012 at 7:38 am
Awesome post i really enjoyed .Thanks !