Here is the one thing LTA's taxi app has that would make it the greatest taxi app ever

The app is actually awesome if everyone starts using it.

Jonathan Lim| December 17, 01:17 PM

The Land Transport Authority has just launched a new mobile app called Taxi-taxi@SG.

Instead of being an app that books taxis, Taxi-taxi@SG allows users to see if there are available taxis nearby. The app does not allow passengers to book a taxi.

LTA has said that "with this information, commuters can better decide whether to continue waiting for a taxi on the street, walk to a location with more available taxis, book a taxi instead, or make alternative transport arrangements."

The inability to book a taxi with this app has left many Singaporeans scratching their heads. What good is this app then?

But they missed out one very important thing that the app does.

It's the one super simple thing the app has that would revolutionise Singapore's entire taxi-commuter situation.

Are you ready?

Wait for it....

It allows users to let taxis know that they are looking for a ride at their current location

Simple as that.

Instead of thinking of Taxi-taxi@SG as an app for passengers to find where all the taxis are, users should think of it as a super 'taxi-flagger' that would help flag taxis that are within range but out of sight.

One more tweak to the app and it would change the way taxis work in Singapore forevermore

There's just one more tweak the app needs to make to improve the current system. The app should allow the passenger and the nearby taxi to confirm their ride. Think of it as virtually flagging the taxi. It's akin to 'booking' a nearby taxi, without the actual booking fee.

This app will solve so many of the inefficiency problems taxi-drivers and passengers alike face. Taxi drivers will not have to ply the roads aimlessly, wasting diesel and polluting the air, looking for a fare.

Taxi passengers can also better manage their expectations on when they can get a ride. No more standing at the road side trying to use eagle eyes to see if a taxi is taken or not.

Let's hope LTA implements this functionality soon. As soon as they get the Taxi-taxi@SG app up on the Apple iTunes and Google Play store. It's not up there yet. Typical.

 

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