There used to be a cool transportation company in Budapest called Uber, which offered a reliable alternative to taxis; however, due to government legislation, it was forced to cease operation in Hungary last summer. Fortunately, those who grew to like the idea of community collaboration did not have to wait too long, as Taxify, an international tech-startup, kicked off here in August, enabling us to order a vehicle, pay for our ride, track the route, and rate the drivers through a mobile app. We tested the service, and it proved to be modern, comfortable, reliable, and passenger-friendly.
Whether we like it or not, mobile applications play an immensely important role in our modern world; we like browsing Instagram, reaching our mailbox with just one touch, taking courses, and ordering a delicious dinner online. There is now an application for everything, as the people of the 21st century are already used to (and expect) such comfort and innovation.
The good news is that now we can also use an application to order a taxi on a busy morning, or when we’re feeling a little lazy after a night out with friends. This might all sound familiar to Uber users, but now we are talking about another cool taxi company that operates with a similar system. The international company – or tech-startup – is called Taxify, and its name might already ring a bell for many of you. We tested their service, had a great chat, and took some photographs along the way. We now reveal some details.
Here are some facts about Taxify: it is an international taxi company that was launched three years ago in Estonia, attracting important investors like Skype. At the moment it operates in a total of 23 cities, including Budapest since the end of last summer. Taxify is based on a mobile application – available for both Android and iOS systems – through which we can trace our route, and can rate our driver. An extra benefit is that the system finds us anywhere in the city with GPS, so we actually don’t even have to enter our location, and it is important to highlight that the application is not likely to crash or get outdated, as a team of 15 innovators constantly controls and improves the system, which is quite consoling.
Regarding the technicalities, when we need a vehicle we can order one though the application – in various languages – and the closest available taxi comes to collect us right away. Two minutes before its arrival we get a notification, but if we wish, we can constantly keep tracking where our car is on a map. The drivers are aided by a navigation system called waze, which ensures passengers that their driver always takes the shortest route, and that it’s all fair and legit. As both the application and the taxi meter keep counting the kilometers, the total sum in the end gets calculated accordingly.Besides the base fare, which is 450 forints (which is roughly 1.5 euros), the rides cost 280 forints per kilometer, which is an average price in Budapest. Through the application we can even calculate the total sum, which then can be paid through the app, but when we order a taxi, we can also select the option of paying on the spot with cash or card.
The team of Taxify constantly keeps checking the feedback about drivers, and if any of them does not reach a certain criteria, they are discharged. This proves that passengers are protected at all times, which is a truly positive endeavor. Further advantages are that Taxify is available around the clock, they gladly help if passengers lose anything, and they offer a truly trustworthy service, so we are delighted that after such cities like Helsinki and Amsterdam, Taxify now smoothens rides in Budapest, too.
