Kakao Taxi, that allows the user to call any nearby taxis with mobile, is coming soon. Uber, Limotaxi, and now Kakao Taxi is jumping in the competition in the new market.
Daum Kakao will be releasing their Kakao Taxi app for passengers on the 31st. It is a continuation from the App for the drivers, which was released in past January. Kakao Taxi App for drivers can only be used by the drivers with taxi license.
The one for passenger may be used by anyone who wants to call a taxi nearby by letting the app know the user’s location.
Once a taxi is called via the passenger app, the closest taxi arrives through the quickest road. If the user rejects the taxi, then another taxi gets the call. The payment is the same as before, using either cash or credit card.
Unlike the previous apps, Kakao Taxi app has focused on passenger’s safe return home. Users may record their moment of getting in and out of the taxi and send the record to their friends via Kakao Talk. Daum Kakao official said, “Allowing the in and out record of taxi to be sent to friends on a taxi with official license is a sure way of promising safe return home. The service will be available throughout the country.”
SK Planet released their ‘T-Map Taxi’ app for taxi drivers and they’re planning to release the app for the passengers in 15th of April. ‘T-Map taxi app for drivers’ has the basic function of receiving the customers’ calls along with real time road guiding feature. For passenger app, it has payment recording feature, phone loss prevention along with the basic taxi calling function.
Both service have in common that they allow the passenger to call taxi drivers that are officially registered and proven and is nearby. The difference would be the platform and other additional features.
Limotaxi that started its service last February had shown their premium taxi service ‘Limo Royal’. Limo Royal only uses and allows 3000cc or higher standard luxury taxis. The drivers that are registered on the Limo Royal all have 20 years or more experiences of driving with no accident records.
Uber stopped their domestic UberX business that created controversy. However, they are continuing on with the taxi call service, Uber Taxi business. Likewise, many taxi apps are being created because the future for such business is active and profitable.
Daum Kakao, who has failed to succeed in their new business last year’s October, are investing more on their Kakao Taxi. One of the officials said, “After the joint, we declared ‘Mobile Life Platform’ enterprise. Kakao taxi needs to be first successful business after mergence for other future platforms to come.”
Staff Reporter Lee,Kyungmin, kmlee@etnews.com)
