1 week ago
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The Belmopan City Council is working on a new taxi app that would operate much like Uber, but with a system designed around the city’s existing taxi operators and the needs of local commuters. The proposed service would allow users to request a taxi through an app and see which driver is coming, how long the taxi should take to arrive and an estimated fare based on the distance of the trip. Unlike Uber, however, passengers would also be able to register up to five taxi drivers as their preferred choices. Those drivers would be given priority when the user requests a ride, once they are available. Mayor Pablo Cawich explained how the system is expected to work.
Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan City: “It would allow ride sharing or sole service. It also allows you to have multiple stops. So everything is more, the calculations are more based on the reality of that particular run. Because as we’ve heard, I’m sure you guys have also heard, many times you hear taxi men charge different prices to the same person. It all depends on how the person feels, how they are being treated and that would tend to determine the price. This is a more transparent price calculation so we believe that it is truly for the best. This application will also allow the direct payment of the service either in cash or through bank deduction. So you would be able to load your debit card, not credit card, debit card into the application under your profile, which would mean it would be secure to you and once you complete a run that charge is automatically deducted from the bank and transferred as the payment.”
The app would also keep a digital record of every trip completed through the system. The council believes this could provide greater accountability while giving passengers more information before entering a taxi. According to Mayor Cawich, two taxi associations in Belmopan have already agreed to participate in the initiative. Love News understands that the app is currently being tested prior to the official launch.
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