Taxi booking goes mobile

Malaysia - Sunlight Unicablink, part of the Sunlight Taxi group of companies, has launched the first Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled taxi dispatching system in Malaysia and its Unicablink taxi booking app.The integrated GPS system will take job orders received from the call centre and automatically assign them without human intervention, to the nearest available taxis in the area.According to Choi Wei Yee (far right), executive director of Sunlight Unicablink, "The deployment of a GPS system is aimed towards better management and efficient usage of our taxi fleets. We also want to help our taxi drivers build a stronger and more stable income."Choi adds that with the GPS system, the income of taxi drivers can increase as much as 50% as they no longer need to drive for long periods looking for passengers or compete with other taxi drivers for the same passenger.The taxi booking app, on the other hand, allows passengers to book online via mobile devices without having to worry about not getting through to call centres.The smartphone app, available for iPhone and all Android devices, has a target download of 10,000 over the next three months and will be promoted via taxi advertising, Facebook announcements and events.Sunlight Unicablink marketing and sales manager Alan Chong tells A+M that it is also exploring in-app opportunities and plans to make the app a one-stop information portal, enabling users to search for F&B outlets and other locations.With the GPS system, more than 1,000 Sunlight taxis have already been fitted with the GPS system.Taxi drivers can subscribe to the GPS system for a monthly fee, and will be trained on how to use the system, regardless of whether they are under the Sunlight taxi group or not.In conjunction with the launch, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between Sunlight Unicablink and Indonesian taxi company PT Express Transindo Utama Tbk.This will enable the taxi booking app to be used by both companies in their respective operating markets.Under the agreement, Malaysian travellers can use the Unicablink app in Indonesia to book Express taxis and Indonesian travellers can use the Express Cab app in Malaysia to book Sunlight Taxis."We hope to rebrand taxis as a trusted and personalised transportation service while also helping taxi drivers to build their own business. Our next step in this innovation journey is to enable fare payment via TouchnGo and credit cards for the taxi passengers," said Choi.Sunlight Unicablink received the official certificate from the Malaysia Book of Records for offering the first integrated online taxi booking service with GPS.