Taximeter-GPS is a popular app and it is used by professional drivers

As you can easily verify on Google Play, we have now surpassed the number of 100.000 installations of our driver app on tablets and smartphones.

And we are running millions of taxi trips with our app every year, with numbers increasing fast.

All users of our driver app are professional taxi or limousine drivers.

There is absolutely no limitation on the number of trips that you can do with the free version.

We do not even display ads, and will never do so.

Are there functional taximeter differences between the free mode and the paid mode?

No, there are none! It is the exact same algorithm that is used in all app running modes. Your decision to move to the paid mode will be triggered by additional functionality, as we will show in our 2 following newsletters, but not by anything related to accuracy, reliability or completeness of the taximeter itself.
 

How does the app's taximeter accuracy compare to built-in devices?

The taximeter calculations are based on GPS or OBD.

• When you use GPS for the fare calculation, we measure a deviation of less than 1% in distance calculation compared to the car's odometer. And even then, it is not at all certain wether our calculated distance is closer to reality or the odometer's calculated distance. The reason for this is that odometers count the number of times the wheel rotates, and over time, due to wheel abrasion, this number changes for the same route. Hence the need for calibration for taximeter devices, something that is not needed with GPS.
  
  Our GPS-based taximeter algorithm has become really complex and clever over time, and we are certainly proud about what we have achieved here. And, to say it again, the free version does in no way calculate any differently than the paid version. Challenge us on finding a taximeter app anywhere else with similar accuracy - that's impossible.
   
• If GPS signals cannot be used in your place, simply buy a small OBD dongle and activate the OBD option in the app.
  When OBD is used, we access the car's electronics and then, quite logically, we get the exact same distance in our app as what you see on the odometer.  So, 0% deviation, 100% accuracy!

It is not just a marketing statement, but it is the truth: You get the best GPS and OBD based taximeter app available for free. Once you have enough confidence that our marketing speech reflects reality, we will be happy to welcome you for using all our additional functionality that you will enjoy for your business. Watch out for newsletters II and III coming out soon.

We manage all possible situations

Actually, after having run millions of trips and being actively developing the driver app since 2010, we are pretty sure that we have come across all possible situations that may occur during a trip and we can safely state that we have found appropriate solutions for each of these situations.

• Loss of GPS signal, as may happen in a tunnel
  This is how we do it: When GPS signals stop to come in, we automatically add something like 'Simulated GPS' signals which has the effect that the fare continues to accrue. When GPS comes back, we compare the such accrued fare to the fare based on the distance between the 2 signals and use the highest of both amounts. This runs so smoothly that you will think that normal GPS signals have continued to come in all the time.
   
• Distortion
  Tall buildings, heavy fog, proximity to critical infrastructures and alike can lead to GPS signals that are unusable. With our complex filtering and enhancing algorithm, we are in the position to manage this.
   
• Stand-still
  When you use a navigation app on your device, you will see that your position on the map changes slightly even when you don't move. This is a disaster when you are looking for accuracy in distance calculation. It took us some time to figure out how to find out by program logic that the device is in stand-still although slightly varying signals continue to come in. We will not disclose how we do it, but check for yourself and you will be amazed about how efficiently this works.
   
• Mix of sources
  GPS signals can have various sources, like satellites, network towers, Wifi,... This makes it risky to trust an incoming signal. Again, our filtering and enhancing algorithm manages this very nicely and accurately.
   
• Starting a trip when there is no GPS signal available
  We came across this situation for users in Dubai, where a taxi rank is within a building where no GPS signals are available. It takes a few minutes before that building will be left after the start of a trip and money would be lost. We know how to manage this as well.

Is it legal to use a GPS-based taximeter app?

That totally depends on where you are located.

The US are the most advanced in this question and many cities have given green light. The European Union is blocking all progress on this topic and bulky taximeter devices remain mandatory. Initiatives in various European countries to overcome this blockade have all failed. 

But why would Authorities oppose GPS-based taximeter apps at all?

Well, it can be explained by the fact that, without filtering, enhancing and simulating GPS signals with a complex and proven algorithm (cf. above), the calculated fare amount is just wrong. 

But then again, knowing that using OBD overcomes that hurdle, prescribing the usage of OBD would solve the problem. But no.

With the proven accuracy of our GPS and OBD-based taximeter app, it doesn't make any sense to oppose its usage and force the taxi business in investing in expensive device purchases and maintenance.

The situation is right out from Absurdistan: we have users who have their taximeter devices and our app running in parallel. At the end of trip, the driver has the possibility to overwrite the app based taximeter fare with the taximeter device's fare, if needed. But almost never is there a need to do so as both amounts are identical. 

So please check (and challenge) the situation with your local Authorities.

Resilience

It might sound as being very obvious, but it is actually extremely challenging to achieve the goal that the taximeter continues to calculate correctly when the app gets moved to the background, and Android or iOS decides to kill the app for reasons like memory shortage.

Not a problem at all with our app, all fully managed!

 

Widget with fare amount displayed over other apps

It is a legal requirement in many places to have the fare amount visible at all times, even when another app is in foreground or when you go to a different function in the app.
You will see this small widget in these cases when you have a running trip:

VAT and GST calculation

We query the EU database daily for updates on the applicable VAT rates. The passenger receipt will contain information about the VAT amount included in the fare.

In places with a GST (i.e. Adelaide), we add this piece of information to the tariff and have the amount calculated at the time of the generation of the passenger receipt.

Pre-configured tariffs

Our free app version comes with 230 pre-configured city tariffs from 60 countries, ready for you to use.

When a tariff changes somewhere, we update it as quickly as possible and as soon as you notify us.

Should your city be missing, we will add it for free when it is a big city, and for a small fee if it is a small town.

The app will always automatically find the correct tariff to apply, based on your location. If you are outside of any of these 230 cities, it will choose the geographically closest tariff.

Your own tariff

You remain aware that we are still writing here about the free version?

Well, if you don't like our pre-configured tariffs, just setup your own right in the app, without any costs.

Your own tariff will not only contain the tariff structure, but also its attached timetable and a geofencing area where it applies.

Not to forget that you can also setup your Extras in your own tariff.


Automatic sub-tariff selection

Based on your location, time of day and day of week, the app will automatically select the correct applicable sub-tariff.

Shoud there be more than one which can be applied, you have the possibility to make a manual selection.

Under no circumstances can you select a sub-tariff that is invalid at a given location or moment in time.

 

Credit card payment support

Sumup and SIX are fully integrated. For Square however, you need to switch to the payable 'LOGIN Mode'.

 

Fare estimate

You need to know the fare of a trip in advance?

Simply enter starting point and destination, and the fully integrated calculator will give you a fare estimate.

And now it gets interesting: when the tariff is setup such that the fare has a crossover speed or a time based element, you can change the calculated average speed and have the fare calculated again.

And, to make things complete, you can use the calculated fare amount as a fixed fare for your upcoming trip.

You can start Waze and Google Maps navigation apps with the calculated route.

You can also use the Fare Calculator on our website.

Your company logo on the main view & receipt

Your passenger receipt will look even more professional when you have your company logo printed on it. Your logo also displays in the main view.


Extras to be added to fare amount

There are 4 types of Extras:

• Percentage (can also be negative for discounts)
• Trip based (like a toll amount unknown at start of trip)
• Amount (for luggage, pets,...)
• Flat (like for Airport to City Centre)

The displayed fare amount can be set to always include Extras or to show them separately.

 

Rooflight

Our app communicates with Bluetooth rooflights.

Voice Announcer

In some countries it is requested by law that a taximeter must be able to 'speak' in order to allow visually impaired passengers to follow the evolution of the fare. You get this feature at no costs!

Different calculation modes

All fare calculation modes that you find around the globe are covered:

• Distance only (rural areas)
• Distance or Time/Crossover Speed (US, Europe, Australia,...)
• Time only (Russia)
• Distance and Time (Scandinavia)

Initial distance or time included in the starting charge is a standard feature.

Each tariff can have a minimum fare amount.

The calculated fare amount can be rounded up and/or down.

 

Thresholds

In many places in the world, tariffs are structured such that it must change once the fare amount or the distance travelled has reached a certain value. Such change may occur up to 4 times.

Why is such functionality often missing in taximeter apps? The reason is simple: it is complicated to do. We've got it right.

 

Increment by...

Every tariff comes with a step value by which the amount of the taximeter will be increased. 

 

Currencies

Every tariff comes with its own currency, and every amount is being displayed with its official number of decimal places, like USD with 2 or VND without.

 

History of trips

Every trip you do is recorded on your device and you can setup the retention period (in number of days).

You can reproduce the passenger receipt of every trip anytime.

Display map

The route taken during a trip should be visible at all times on the main view, to allow passengers to visually check what route has been taken. But apart from our app, we don't see anyone else doing this! Why is that? Well, quite simply, without a complex GPS filtering and enhancing algorithm, drawing the exact route is not possible and it would become visible that  the fare amount might be wrong.

If you don't like the map being displayed, select 'Alternative View' in the menu and it will no longer show. It will continue to be printed on the receipt however.
 

Calendar with trips

The app maintains an internal, unmodifiable calendar with all your trips.

Additionally, you can have the app write every trip to your Google Calendar app.

If you wish so, you can share your Google calendar with whomever you choose. A tool like TeamCal might be worth looking into if you have multiple drivers.

 

Passenger receipt

All data required by law for an audit-proof receipt is contained on our professional looking passenger receipt.

On top, you can add a free text on each receipt and have the number of passengers printed on it.

Here's a link to an example of a passenger receipt.

You can send it or print it on a Bluetooth Thermal printer.

Very nice and much appreciated feature: you can ask the app to automatically send a copy of all your collected passenger receipts to your email address once per day.

As required by law in many places, apart from total time and distance travelled, the receipt shows the part of time and distance used for the fare calculation. This feature was initially implemented after a request from a user in British Columbia.

 

Delayed start of calculations

In some situations, it is necessary to delay the start of the fare calculation, although you wish to start the trip immediately, like when you drive to a pickup and you are required to record your time but you cannot charge the passenger before pickup.

 

Waiting mode

When the passenger asks you to wait for him while he does some other activity (i.e. shopping), a possibility to manually switch to waiting mode is very needed. The applicable tariff for manual waiting mode might then be different. It is possible to configure this in your tariff.

When a situation arises where the trip needs to be interrupted for a short period of time (waiting at a railway crossing, fuelling up,...), the time should not be charged to the passenger. In our app, you do a long-click on 'RUN' and calculations get suspended. You click again, and calculations resume.

 

Kilometers and Miles

The app manages both.

 

When should the fare be increased?

In most cases, local regulation requires that the fare should be increased when a new distance or time unit starts. In other places, this should happen when that time or distance is fully elapsed. We can do both ways.

 

Tipping

Tipping is very important in some places like the US, but frowned upon in others, like Japan.

Our tipping feature can be activated or deactivated according to your wishes. At end of trip, the app will prompt for the tip and its amount will be shown on the receipt.

 

Payment processing

Apart from the already mentioned credit card processing support, the app will prompt for payment method for your records. This prompt can be deactivated if not needed.

 

Multi-language

Our app communicates in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.