New app feature allows users to hail taxis at flat rate
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A new feature on a mobile app is making it easier for people to hail cabs.
The Curb app has been around for years, connecting people to taxi cab drivers. But now it’s offering flat rates, essentially getting rid of meters. It comes as Uber and Lyft wait times and prices increase.
"We feel really well positioned with this new offering around upfront pricing and really the curiosity on the part of the riding public for other alternatives. We feel really strongly that we’re in a good position to help not just taxi drivers and taxi fleets but help the public as well. We’re all very optimistic about these next few months," Jason Goss, VP Head of Mobile, Curb Mobility said.
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It’s long been argued taxi cabs are regulated more than the ride-sharing industry. Gross says the new pricing model shows that taxis aren’t always more expensive than other options.
"The pricing on the ride-sharing apps have gone up and the wait times are a lot longer so it’s really given us an opportunity to gain stamina among the ride-sharing public that, ‘Hey taxis are an alternative.’ And actually now with upfront pricing you can compare for yourself and see that the majority of times, if not all the time taxis are actually cheaper," he said.
Samuel Firdawek has been driving taxi cabs in Washington, D.C. for nearly 25 years.
"They call me human GPS," he said.
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Firdawek said the pandemic was hard on the industry which was already struggling the last few years to compete with Uber and Lyft. He says he’s already seen a difference in business because of it.
"There’s no congress, no lobbying. People don’t come in the city. No tourists. So that’s what makes a big difference. So instead of waiting for people to flag us down, Curb helps a lot," Firdawek said.
Firdawek hopes the new technology, combined with the issues customers are experiencing with Uber and Lyft will help the taxi cab industry bounce back.
The app and this new pricing is in all big cities like DC, Boston and New York.