Bike taxis have become increasingly popular in urban areas due to their convenience, affordability, and ability to navigate traffic more efficiently than cars.
With the rise of services like Rapido, the growth potential for this mode of transportation has surged significantly.
This presents a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the market by building their own bike taxi business app. If you're one of them, this blog is for you.
Workflow of a Bike Taxi App
To build a successful bike taxi app, it’s crucial to understand how the app functions for both riders and drivers.
Here's a breakdown of the typical workflow for each:
Rider App Workflow
- User Registration: Riders sign up using their phone number, email, or social media accounts.
- Booking a Ride: Riders input their location and destination, and the app shows available drivers nearby.
- Matching with a Driver: The app automatically matches the rider with the closest driver, and both receive notifications.
- Ride Tracking: Riders can track their bike’s movement in real-time, seeing the driver's approach and the journey’s progress.
- Payment and Feedback: After the ride, payment is processed through the app using various methods, and the riders rate their drive and trip experience.
Driver App Workflow
- Driver Registration: Drivers sign up and undergo verification, including uploading documents like driving licenses and vehicle registration.
- Accepting Rides: Drivers are notified of ride requests within their area. They can accept or reject requests based on availability.
- Navigating to Pickup: Once a driver accepts a ride, they use the app's GPS to navigate to the rider’s location.
- Ride Execution: Drivers start the trip after picking up the rider with the app guiding them via GPS to the destination.
- Earnings and Ratings: After completing the ride, drivers receive payment through the app, and both parties can leave ratings and feedback.
Steps of Building a Bike Taxi Business App
1. Market Research and Analysis
Before jumping into app development, conduct thorough market research to understand the demand for bike taxis in your target area.
Analyze your competition—how do existing services like Rapido or Uber Moto operate, and what gaps can your app fill?
Look at user behaviour, including peak usage times, popular routes, and customer preferences, to tailor your service offering.
Key Points to Analyze:
- Who is your target audience? (e.g., daily commuters, college students, tourists)
- What are the pain points? (e.g., pricing, availability, or safety concerns)
- How can your service offer a better or more unique experience?
2. Determine the Revenue Streams
The most common revenue model for a bike taxi business is the “commission-based model,” where you charge a percentage of each ride fare.
However, you can diversify your income streams:
- Subscription Plans: Offer riders or drivers subscription packages for unlimited rides or zero commission for a set period.
- In-App Ads: Monetize by allowing local businesses to advertise within the app.
By implementing multiple revenue streams, you can significantly boost profitability while also offering additional perks for both drivers and riders.
3. Identify the Necessary Features
To ensure a smooth experience, your bike taxi app must include essential features for riders, drivers, and the admin panel.
Here are a few necessary features to consider:
Features of the Rider App
- Simple registration and booking process
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Estimated fare calculation
- Payment options (credit card, wallets, etc.)
- Ride rating option
- Ride history
Features of the Driver App
- Driver registration and verification
- Availability management
- Option to accept or reject rides
- Navigation and GPS integration
- Earning tracker
- Ride history
- Rider rating option
- Payout account management
Features of the Admin Panel
- User and driver management
- Vehicle management
- Booking management
- Site and app settings management
- Commission fee management
- Auto-payment processor
By addressing the needs of all three users (riders, drivers, and admin), you ensure that your app functions seamlessly and efficiently.
4. Building the Bike Taxi App
Once you’ve defined the app's features, it’s time to decide on the development approach.
For development, you generally have two main options: custom development and readymade app solutions.
Custom Development
Custom development is the method where you hire a development firm to build your app from scratch.
Here the process involves:
- Planning: Defining your app requirements and creating initial visual guides.
- Designing: Crafting the app’s interface based on the plan.
- Developing: Building the app’s functionality according to the design.
- Testing: Ensuring the app is free of issues and bugs.
- Launching and Maintaining: Launching the app and providing ongoing support.
Custom development can be time-consuming and require more resources, but it offers you a fully tailored app that meets your exact needs.
Readymade App Solution
Your second option is called a readymade app solution.
These are business apps that come with a pre-built workflow and essential features for the business.
Many providers offer these readymade app solutions for taxi businesses, which can help you launch your bike taxi business.
When you choose a readymade app solution, the process includes:
- Purchasing: Acquiring the readymade app solution.
- White-Labeling: Rebranding the app to reflect your brand, typically at no additional cost.
- Customizing: Adding any unique features (if needed).
- Testing: Ensuring the app functions properly without any issues.
- Launching: Getting your app live and operational quickly.
Readymade solutions are known to be cost-effective and faster to launch due to their pre-developed nature.
These are your two options for building your bike taxi app. Now it's time for you to make a decision.
Evaluate the options and choose the one that fits your requirements and budget.
If you opt for a readymade app solution, why not check our taxi-booking app solution?
With our solution, you get:
- Android and iOS apps for both riders and drivers.
- Admin panel to help you manage the platform.
- Free tech support, which covers white-labeling, server installation, app launch, and support following app rejection.
- 100% source code, so you may change its functionality if necessary.
End Note
App development doesn’t stop at the first launch; you’ll need to continuously add more features and value to keep users engaged on the platform.
Keep an eye on user feedback and continuously experiment and craft an effective marketing strategy based on what works for you. It will help your bike taxi app stay competitive.
Launch your Bike Taxi App with Us!