Uber competitor iHail collaborates with Australian taxi networks for a better cab booking experience
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has finally approved iHail, a new taxi-booking app that links taxi networks and Cabcharge into one neat bundle. The main point of iHail, it seems, is to make the process of getting a cab a little easier for Australian commuters.
iHail has been rejected twice by the ACCC. Following this, however, the developer has already made some changes in the app to provide a wider array of choices for the passengers in terms of payment, preference of networks and the like, Gizmodo Australia reported.
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“The app will provide an additional platform for passengers to book taxis from a large pool of taxi networks and drivers. The ACCC accepts this is likely to reduce waiting times, particularly in peak periods, which is a benefit to the public,” said Rod Sims, chairman of the ACCC as quoted by Gizmodo Australia.
Ironically, iHail may actually be a way to fend off the giant that Uber has become in many areas, including Australia. Sydney Morning Herald reported that iHail deals with the issue of single-network booking of cabs. Given that there are many networks that operate cabs around Australia, it gets hard to get a cab if the nearby vehicle is not from the network that a passenger contacts.
The unification of taxi networks is made possible by the top app developers and with the collaboration of some of the largest taxi services in Australia. This allows iHail to be in touch with over 50 percent of the taxis in the country.
If iHail, in fact, does become a hit for Australians, it’s a wonder what will happen following the rumour that Uber had already reported ordered 100,000 Mercedes Benz S cars. According to Engadget, this is part of Uber’s efforts towards autonomous cars, a vision shared with Mercedes.
Related: Free ride from Sydney to Brisbane for Tesla Model S owners will be possible.
While this, in a sense, contradicts the starting point of why Uber exists, which is to let people with cars connect with passengers looking for rides, it does push forward the more current trend of self-driving cars. The thing to note now is how changes in Uber’s system moving forward will affect different areas that make use of the service, especially like those in Australia, where new ride-sharing and cab-booking apps like iHail are inching their way into the market’s consciousness.
