Easy Taxi reaches 50 million rides and over USD 500 million of underlying estimated transaction value
Almasalla, ATP News- Easy Taxi, one of the largest taxi booking apps in the world, has completed 50 million rides since its launch across the dozens of countries it serves. Launched in 2011 in Brazil, Easy Taxi has since gained a strong international presence and has become the market leader in every country in Latin America. Furthermore, the company has maintained a strong position in other regions with established operations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
From its less than 500 completed rides in December 2012 to around 6 million in last November alone, the company continues to grow fast despite its already large scale. At the current run rate, the rides Easy Taxi intermediates have an underlying estimated transaction value of around USD 500 million per year.
The company’s objective is to provide a more convenient and safer booking experience for its 17 million customers around the world. When called via Easy Taxi, a cab takes on average less than 4 minutes to arrive, versus up to 25 minutes for a traditional radio taxi company. Drivers are screened before being admitted into the network and only those who comply with the company’s service standards are allowed to join.
For taxi drivers, Easy Taxi has increased productivity tremendously. Participating drivers – which currently amount to around 400,000 worldwide – can earn up to 50% more and drive up to 4 hours less per day. This improvement allows for better standards of living for them and, consequently, better service levels for passengers. Increased safety, payment method availability and ride traceability are additional features drivers value.
“Our solution has always been focused on getting the fastest and safest cab to individual and corporate passengers, and on providing a new tool for drivers to make money. And I think those numbers show that we are in the right direction”, says Dennis Wang, Easy Taxi’s co-CEO. “We want to work towards improving urban mobility in a way that is more evolutional than simply disruptive”, he completes.
For 2015, Easy Taxi’s strategy entails further growing its corporate product, which already counts with over 1,000 corporations onboard, and to increase the penetration of its wallet solution – Easy Taxi Pay – which allows passengers to make payments via the app. New service options will be launched in target markets to serve additional needs from the company’s growing and diversifying client base.
How it works
After downloading the Easy Taxi global app –available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices– passengers confirm their pickup point and order a cab with a single click. In seconds a confirmation screen shows the name, photo and car model/plate of their pre-screened taxi driver plus the map with the real-time position of the vehicle.
Options like in-app payment, corporate accounts, favorite addresses, selection of service features, special discounts, passenger-driver messaging and ride history are available according to location.
