A new taxi-booking "Kiosk" in the form of a tablet computer is being rolled out in hotel lobbies, airports, rail stations, restaurants and business centres throughout London.
The Get Taxi technology may also be placed on trains so that passengers can arrange for a taxi to be waiting for them when they arrive.
For those without access to the Get Taxi mobile app, the "Kiosk" enables members of the public to book a car through a tablet, with just their mobile number required to be input beforehand.
Payments can be made either with cash or soon, as with the app, automatically via credit or debit card.
As part of an ongoing trial, Get Taxi already has its "Kiosks" in place in the W Leicester Square, the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Blakes hotel in Chelsea, the Apex City of London, Google and Facebook offices, and Gordon Ramsay eateries.
Shahar Waiser, founder and CEO of Get Taxi, said: "Our vision is to have Get Taxi kiosks at key locations all around cities creating virtual taxi ranks, as a reliable, safe and fast alternative to the minicab service."
The kiosks are being made available across Israel and Russia, as well as New York later in the year.
Speaking at the Business Travel Show in Earl's Court yesterday, a spokesman for Get Taxi told Business Traveller that the London Underground strike had resulted in its "busiest day ever", with more than 12,000 customers requesting pick-ups in the hours leading up to lunchtime.
gettaxi.co.uk
Editorial Comment:
Not sure how the trade will react to these new booking kiosks.
Will we be competing for work that already uses Taxis at stations and airports?
Hailo was slaughtered on line when they approached customers at a Taxi rank and gave out fliers.
Will Get Taxi suffer the same backlash from irate drivers.
Get Taxi has already upset many Taxi drivers earlier this month by announcing on their twitter page that in New York, their service is provided by Cars and not Taxis.
Think this new kiosk service needs to be rethought before unleashed on the trade.