Our local taxis are appalling and we all have heard stories of being refused a ride or being taken on one at exorbitant rates. With the introduction of Uber, commuters have been singing praises for its reliable and safe service that’s miles apart from the current transportation offering. While the general public is condemning our failed taxi service, mobile booking service Easy Taxi is doing something rather different.
Acknowledging that change is needed, they have taken some initiatives to fix the problem by rolling out its new “Iconic” Taxi experience and for the first time, a cashless payment system for budget taxis. In phases, Easy Taxi will be investing in a taxi revamp where vehicles will have the iconic New York yellow cab style stickers at the side. Beyond the cosmetic upgrade, drivers will have to undergo training workshops to improve their overall service levels.
According to Easy Taxi, passengers can expect better experience which includes a more courteous driver, complimentary drinks and the option to choose your music/radio station. All of which, have been well received by Uber users with its original UberBlack service. Sounds like Easy Taxi is trying to transform our budget taxis with Uber-like comforts.
Another welcome addition is its Easy Taxi Pay cashless system where you can pay using credit card within the app itself. So this means no more fumbling over small change and you can hop-on and hop-off without any worries. In order to maintain high service levels, Easy Taxi is also offering reward incentives for deserving drivers up to RM1,000 per month based on customer satisfaction rating. With that, hopefully the drivers will strive to gain more stars instead of quick profits.
The overall idea sounds good but it won’t be easy to change the mindset and attitude of errant taxi drivers overnight. Having said that, it still a good step moving forward and we can only hope that the initiatives will bear fruits over time.
Easy Taxi is currently available to download on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Their service area currently covers the Klang Valley, Kuching, Penang and Johor Bahru.
