Coronavirus has changed the livelihood for everyone. People are avoiding public transportation as they are afraid of being contracted with the deadly virus. On the other hand, they are also not ready to use their own vehicles as the roads are blocked due to the rising number of cases. So they prefer the on-demand taxi-hailing services as they can reach the destination on time through these services. Grab and Gojek, the popular taxi-hailing services, are working closely with the government to provide services to users.
One of the leading taxi booking platforms, Grab, is taking the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the virus spread. Certain new features like where the employees have to answer the general questionnaire about their symptoms of coronavirus and regulations users have to follow to curb the transmission rate. Apart from that, before the driver goes online, they will be asked to confirm, via a new Go Online Checklist, that they’ve taken necessary safety measures and are wearing a mask or face cover. The new technology will verify if the driver is wearing a mask by asking them to upload a selfie on the app. After the verification process is completed, the driver is notified through an in-app notification. These taxi-hailing apps are not allowing drivers who are not taking the necessary safety measures to go online. App owners have taken seminars to spread awareness about COVID-19 in order to create awareness amongst users.
Taxi-booking apps like Grab are ensuring safety and hygiene standards by taking these measures:
- Restricting the passengers count to two in taxis and passengers are restricted to sit in the front seat to minimize contact with passengers and drivers.
- Hand sanitizers and face masks are given to all the employees till now. Grab taxi services have distributed around 1 million masks across staff from various regions.
- They are temporarily suspending the accounts of the passengers and partners who confirm that they are unwell. So customers do not have to panic for availing these services. Uber has currently suspended 240 customer accounts as they were tested positive.
- Uber is consulting with an epidemiologist on a regular basis to ensure their efforts are grounded in medical advice.
- Passengers can report the driver when they are not wearing masks or taking other precautionary measures. By this, the driver is given a warning from the admin.
- On the other hand, if the driver notices the passenger displaying flu-like symptoms, they can reach out to the 24×7 helpline for assistance.
- Customers have to contact the service provider if they are tested positive for coronavirus within seven days after taking rides. Likewise, if the drivers are tested positive for coronavirus or if they are displaying symptoms. The company will reach out to the customers and concerned authorities.
- Taxi-hailing services offer hand sanitizers to the customers, and they are planning to include disposable gloves and masks in all the vehicles to provide safety for the riders.
- Taxi booking apps like Grab have trained every driver with best practices of personal and cab hygiene and keep them updated on the government’s guidelines.
- Online cab services like Ola and Uber have requested the drivers to self-quarantine or reach out to them for any medical assistance.
Market Overview of the taxi booking services
- The taxi market is expected to reach a CAGR of 10.88%, during the forecast period of 2020-2025.
- Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than 70% of the global motorcycle/bike taxi market in 2018.
- The online taxi booking app has captured a mammoth share of 40%. The main reason for this is when compared to other modes of transportation, increasing traffic congestion and low taxi fare are the trivial factors driving the growth of the motorcycle/bike taxi service.
Summing up:
The taxi booking apps have created a revolution, within a few months of its introduction, they have become popular amongst users. Now with the outbreak of the coronavirus, they are taking up all the precautionary and safety measures to safeguard the customers and employees from the fatal virus. The apps have gained people’s trust hence they are opting for these services rather than the traditional ride options. This has led to increased demand for these taxi booking apps. So it is the apt moment to enter into the competitive market with a ready-made, feature-packed Grab clone script.
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