Local cab company to take on Uber, Grabcar

KUALA LUMPUR: A local cab company will be launching a mobile application within a couple of months to compete with popular ride-sharing services such as Uber and GrabCar.
Big Blue Taxi Facilities Sdn Bhd advisor Datuk Shamsubaharin Ismail said the application will help taxi drivers in his company generate more income and promote better quality services.
He said the app prevents haggling, allow users to rate the driver's behaviour, the car's condition, lost and found, and even a panic button should an emergency occur.
He said driver details, cab registration and plate numbers are also made available to the user when he or she uses the app to book a cab at a fee of RM2.
"With that information, users can also ask for drivers that they have had good experiences with, which will encourage other taxi drivers to step up their services," he added.
He said the app will also allow users the option to share the cab with others in the area looking for a ride not unlike how Uber works, but it is completely legal.
Shamsubaharin said this offers the passenger legal safeguards such as insurance coverage and a database where taxi drivers can be easily tracked if they committed a crime.
He said taxi drivers working for the company are receptive of the app and are eager to give it a try once it rolls out after it is fine-tuned.
More details of the app will be revealed in about two weeks' time before it is launched in about two months' time, he added.