The apps are the last thing a ride-hailing service needs, not the first. Everything on this list has to be decided before the software can be configured, and most of it decides whether the launch works. Go through it in order.
1. Permission to operate
Carrying passengers for money is regulated almost everywhere, and the rules change from one country and one city to the next. Before anything else, find out:
- Which licence the operating company needs.
- What each driver and each vehicle needs.
- Which insurance is required for passengers.
No software vendor can obtain these for you, and no app makes an unlicensed service legal. Speak to the transport authority, or to a local lawyer, first.
2. A service area you can cover
Start with one city, or one part of it. A small area with cars always nearby is a better service than a large area with long waits. Decide:
- Where the service starts and stops on the map.
- Whether you serve the airport, and what the airport requires.
- The hours you promise to cover.
3. Drivers before riders
A rider who opens the app twice and finds no car does not open it a third time. On the first day you need enough drivers online, in your area, at the hours you promised. So settle these before you advertise to riders:
- Are the drivers employees, drivers of your own fleet, or independent drivers with their own cars?
- Which documents do you collect from each driver, and who checks them?
- Why would a driver choose you? Lower commission, steadier work, faster payouts: pick one and be able to keep it.
4. Fares
There are three common models, and your market or your regulator may choose for you:
- Fixed fares by zone. Simple for riders, and common for taxi and transfer services.
- Distance and time. The fare follows the trip.
- Offers. The rider proposes a fare and drivers accept or bid.
Decide also how you earn: a commission on each trip, a subscription paid by drivers, or both.
5. Payments and payouts
- Cash. In many markets most trips are paid in cash. The driver then holds your commission, so you need a way to collect it, usually a wallet the driver tops up.
- Cards. You need a payment provider that works in your country, and its fee comes out of each trip.
- Payouts. When and how drivers are paid. Late payouts are the fastest way to lose drivers.
6. Support and safety
Someone has to answer when a rider leaves a phone in a car, when a fare is disputed, or when a driver does not arrive. Decide who that is and during which hours. Decide what you record about each trip, how long you keep it, and what a rider or a driver can do in an emergency.
7. Then, the apps
A ride-hailing service runs on three pieces: a rider app, a driver app, and an admin panel for your operations team. When you compare options, ask:
- Are the apps published under your own store accounts and your own brand?
- Can you set zones, fares and commission yourself, without a developer?
- Who pays for the maps? Mapping and navigation services are usually billed by usage.
- Can the same drivers carry parcels as well as passengers, if you want that second line of income later?
What to bring to a demo
With these written down, a vendor can show you your own service instead of a generic one:
- Your launch area and zones.
- Your vehicle types.
- Your fare rules and how you earn.
- The driver documents you require.
- Your payment provider, and whether you accept cash.
FidaRide is our platform for licensed taxi, transfer and courier operators: a rider app, a driver app and an admin panel under your brand, with zone-based fares, optional fare offers and parcel delivery alongside passenger trips. The licences stay your responsibility. The software is ours.