South African taxi ordering solution Zapacab is set to launch before April this year, seeking to provide reliable and efficient taxi services on the streets of Cape Town.
Zapacab aims to transform the current model of taxi ordering, where group affiliated drivers are obliged to operate through a centralised despatch system.
“We are completely replacing that despatch service and providing and empowering directly to the customer,” founder Paul Donner told HumanIPO.
Zapacab is one nine startups part of the 88mph accelerator programme in Woodstock, Cape Town.
The web-based service is already open for registration, but will only become active for operation within the next two to three weeks.
A first for Africa, the process is activated through a customer request for a driver, after which drivers within the nearest 10 kilometre radius will be notified of a potential job.
The first responding cab driver’s offer will pop up on the requesting customer’s screen, after which the client can respond and accept.
Accessible through mobile as well, the service will be free for customers and charged at a 10 to 25 percentage commission rate for drivers.
Targeted groups are independent drivers, private shuttle services, airport transfers and private metered taxi groups.
“There is a functionality that we added that actually tracks the taxi as he’s actually driving towards you, which I haven’t seen in the market,” Donner said.
Zapacab offers services such as online Taxi Rank, while the possibility of app development is in the pipeline, though not currently a priority.
