Forget waving on street corners and let your phone do the work: Six of the best minicab and taxi apps revealed...

Gone are the days standing on rainy street corners looking out for a glowing amber ‘TAXI’ sign emblazoned on the top of a black cab.

With smartphones has arrived a number of other ways to hail a taxi or order a minicab without leaving the party or standing outside for more than a minute.

So which ones should you opt for? Which are the safest, cheapest, most convenient and finally – how are these choices transforming the industry?

Road test: The taxi and minicab industry has been completely transformed by smartphones

Road test: The taxi and minicab industry has been completely transformed by smartphones

This marketplace is still in its infancy with many of the apps launched in the last two years and test-run on the capital before they are rolled out to the rest of the country. Therefore several are still London-based or restricted to the larger cities, although they plan to expand across the country in the near future.

Here are some of the top picks.

Easy to use: GetTaxi alerts you when your cab has arrived and sends you its registration number so it's easy to spot

Easy to use: GetTaxi alerts you when your cab has arrived and sends you its registration number so it's easy to spot

Gett

What is it? 

Gett, formerly GetTaxi, is an international taxi app, which currently operates in five countries and 32 cities.

It allows you to order a taxi (check out the technical differences between 'taxis' and 'minicabs'in the box below) without having to go outside to hail one. 

Once you send your request, you can track your cab in real time on the app so that you can work out precisely when it is going to arrive and go outside to meet it.

Why is it a good option?

It has a slightly broader coverage than most other taxi apps at the moment. You can use the app to pay so you don’t have to worry about having money on you when you order one.

The app only uses licensed black taxis, which are regulated by TfL. Gett says it also meets up with every driver that signs up to go through a training programme to ensure passenger safety.

You can also make a booking up to two weeks in advance, with flat-rate fares to the airports as well.

You are also given £10 credit for every friend you recommend who goes on to use the app.

If you leave something in a cab, you can phone the driver, whose details will automatically be stored on the app.

Unlike others such as Uber, Gett has a customer care phone line if you need to contact them.

At the moment it is available in London, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham and Liverpool.

It announced today it is planning to move into other services, such as helping to supply food including sushi and pizza, beauty including manicures and massages and home services including plumbing and cleaning.

Downsides? 

If price is your primary consideration you may find that a minicab works out cheaper. Payments are made after your journey so, unlike with a minicab, you won't know the exact cost before you book.

Climate Cars

What is it?

Climatecars is a minicab fleet of hybrid cars, which run on a combination of petrol and electricity. In this sense they are arguably more environmentally friendly than most.

Greener alternative? Climatecar's cabs are hybrid, which means they run on both petrol and electricity

Greener alternative? Climatecar's cabs are hybrid, which means they run on both petrol and electricity

Why is a good option?

The cars can run on electricity until 30mph, which is ideal for driving in central London where cabs tend to sit in traffic often.

Downsides?

The service is only currently available in greater London.

The app is also only currently available for iPhone.

ARE ALL THESE CHANGES TO THE MINICAB TAXI INDUSTRY GOOD NEWS? 

There are few markets that smart technology has disrupted as monumentally as taxis and minicabs.

Every inconvenience formerly endured by passengers has been booted out. There is no longer need to phone around to price compare of hunt down a minicab on a Saturday night; you don’t have to wait outside, hand over cash or card details or even know where you are. And perhaps above all, the cost of taking a cab has plummeted due to increased competition.

With increased affordability comes rising demand. For some the arrival of minicab apps such as Uber marks the end of long, winding journeys home on night buses with vomity drunks and the smell of fried chicken.

But many argue it’s not all good news - and there is no question that the industry will never be the same again.

Black cab drivers are furious; last year there were worldwide protests about Uber, which black cab drivers claim are taking their business yet have little of their regulatory restrictions. 

Some believe apps such as Hailo are the only way black cabs are going to be able to fight back and that they have to move with the times and make the most of smart technology themselves to regain some of their strength. Others think Hailo is eating away at their margins and in themselves represent a threat to traditional black cabs.

For the conscientious traveller this creates a dilemma. For convenience and cost there’s no doubt the transformation of the industry is good news - and arguably it's inevitable anyway. But for anyone trying to decide whom they would like to support and the consequences of choosing one mode over another, it’s a minefield.

CabWise

What is it?

This is a Transport for London app, which finds you the details of your closest licenced minicab office and sends you the details.

Why is it a good option?

The service is designed to make sure that people looking for a minicab are sure that their trip is carried out by a licensed, insured driver in a licensed, insured vehicle.

Unlike taxis, minicabs cannot be hailed and cannot stop at taxi ranks – they must be booked in advance otherwise they are breaking the law. However too often people do not realise the distinction and get into minicabs that they haven’t booked, which are therefore breaking the law and may be unsafe. The app is designed to counter this.

Downsides?

The app only gives you a list of licensed minicab offices in your area. It does not actually book you a cab, so you still need to make a booking directly.

If you don’t have a smartphone, CabWise also has a service that will text you numbers of minicab firms.

The service is only available in London as it is run by transport for London. 

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TAXI AND A MINICAB? 

Minicabs must be booked in advance at an office, over the phone or online. It is not possible to flag them down and it is illegal for them to stop in taxi ranks. 

Booking ahead is the only way to ensure that your minicab is safe - otherwise you could effectively just be hailing a stranger on the street. Booking from a minicab that is licensed ensures that your trip will be carried out by a licensed, insured driver in a licensed, insured car. It also means that a record is kept of your journey, your driver and the vehicle used so in the event of any problem the driver can be traced.  

Taxis on the other hand are permitted to take passengers who flag them down on the street. They are fully licensed and drive licensed vehicles and undergo the most rigorous regulation and training.

Some app firms partner with taxis while others use minicabs. Apps will each have their own vetting process for the drivers or minicab services they use. Those listed here that work with minicab services will operate with licensed firms. 

All taxis are fitted with meters, which calculate the fare based on the distance travelled and any waiting time. Minicabs should quote a fixed price and are not permitted to operate by meter. 

There has been some controversy around Uber, which charges by distance and time as recorded on a smartphone. Taxi drivers say that although on a phone, this method amounts to using a meter, which is banned.Transport for London has argued that since the smartphones are not fitted in the cabs, they cannot be classified as meters. 

Hailo

What is it?

Hailo is an app to virtually hail taxis. It finds the nearest available taxi that is registered to Hailo and then alerts it to you.

Taxi tracking: Hailo shows you in real time where there are taxis near you and allows you to hail one virtually

Why is it a good option?

Hailo allows you to use taxis but without having to stand round waiting to hail one. It does not cost anything to use the app, although taxi drivers have to pay a cut to Hailo.

All cars are registered black cabs, who are therefore licenced, insured and will know London backstreets like the back of their hands. 

Downsides?

It is available in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds so far, but has plans for further expansion.

Drivers are charged a cut if you use Hailo, which they would not have to fork out for if you hailed them on the road. However Hailo argues that it helps to match drivers with fares so they get more business than they would have done in the absence of the app. 

Some taxi drivers are vehemently opposed to the app, as it takes a cut of around 20 per cent. Others believe it is one of the only things that can save the industry from the rise of minicabs and minicab apps.

Kabbee

What is it?

Kabbee is an app that searches all the minicab firms near your current location and then curates them to show you the cheapest, closest, best rated and executive class minicabs. It provides a list of all the services available and shows their rating for punctuality.

Why is it a good option?

It does the job of phoning round minicab offices getting quotes and asking for availability. You can have all that information at your fingertips in a matter of seconds.

Once you’ve picked one, you can book it using a debit or credit card using the app so you don’t have to worry about having cash on you.

The app is easy to navigate and has tweaks to make life easier such as the option to type in your flight details when you’re booking a taxi to meet you at the airport or a button to get you home so that you don’t have to enter your address details every time.

Kabbee says its ‘team of industry experts’ have visited and audited every fleet on the app so they are all fully licensed and checked internally to ensure they provide a good service.

Downsides?

Kabbee is planning to launch across the UK ‘very soon’ but is currently only available in Greater London.

It also only currently offers the option to hire minicabs although it says it will soon be possible to use the app to book black taxis as well.

What does it cost?  

Revolutionising: Uber is seen as a major 'disrupter' in the minicab industry

Revolutionising: Uber is seen as a major 'disrupter' in the minicab industry

Uber

What is it? 

Uber is an app that has transformed minicab hire around the globe since it was launched by a US tech company five years ago.

You click a button to send your location and then watch on screen as a minicab drives towards you.

To sign up for the app you have to input your credit or debit card details. Payment is taken automatically from your account and is calculated according to the distance travelled. 

You are given an estimate for how much this is likely to be, although it could end up more or less. The amount charged varies according to demand. Uber usually takes a 20 per cent cut of fares.

Why is it a good option?

Uber allows users to share minicabs, which drastically reduces the cost.

Users are given drivers’ contact details and registration number. The app is very easy to use, takes out the worry of having cash on you or splitting fares.

Downsides?

Uber is perhaps the most controversial of the minicab and taxi apps. Black cab drivers are furious because they say Uber is taking away their business without being restricted to the same regulations and standards. 

They claim that the advantage black cabs hold in being able to pick up fared on the street - for which they must be licensed in return - is negated if customers can effectively hail minicabs off the street using the app.

Campaigners are also quick to point out that its company structure means the company does not pay tax on profits earned in the UK.

This is Money reported earlier this month about how some Uber users have reported having their accounts hacked and journeys booked without their permission. Uber vehemently denies their systems have been  hacked - but is refunding all customers who have lost money.

The company does not have a phone number to call if something goes wrong or for enquiries - customers must get in touch by email or Twitter.  

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