(Pocket-lint) - Chances are you've astir apt heard astir Uber, but Uber isn't the lone taxi app work you tin usage successful London. In fact, determination are several.
Many customers privation the convenience of being capable to petition a thrust via an app and wage for it utilizing a stored paper alternatively than lasting connected the pavement waving their limb up and down trying to emblem an unoccupied taxi down, and taxi apps let for that.
Here are the champion taxi apps to get you astir London. You mightiness besides find a mates of them enactment successful different locations crossed the UK excessively truthful it's worthy checking if you're extracurricular of London.
Uber
Uber is disposable crossed the UK - not conscionable London - and it allows users to take from a fig of antithetic vehicles, including enforcement cars and larger cars for much people.
You tin divided the fare with anyone travelling with you that has an Uber relationship and docket a thrust truthful you cognize you ever person a mode of getting home. Cash isn't an enactment with Uber - you person to usage a stored paper for payment, but you tin store aggregate cards, arsenic good arsenic usage services similar Apple Pay.
As with different apps connected this list, erstwhile you person requested a taxi done the Uber app, you volition beryllium capable to spot your operator making their mode to your determination successful existent time.
Free Now
You whitethorn already cognize astir Free Now arsenic it utilized to beryllium called Hailo earlier it changed to MyTaxi and present Free Now. It is disposable successful respective cities astir the UK and implicit 100 cities crossed Europe.
Card accusation tin beryllium saved to the app truthful payments are speedy and easy, and you get a receipt emailed consecutive to your inbox arsenic soon arsenic you scope your destination, which is useful for those concern expenses.
The Free Now app volition besides amusement you wherever your cab is connected its travel to prime you up and your operator volition adjacent hold for a mates of minutes for you to get without charging, cleanable for saying those past goodbyes to friends.
Gett
Gett is disposable successful 8 cities astir the UK and works successful a akin mode to Free Now. Like its rival, you petition a thrust from a London Black Cab, and Gett promises immoderate of the fastest prime up times.
Several antithetic types of car are disposable to request, from a regular Black Cab, to electrical ones and ones designed to transportation disabled passengers.
You tin adjacent publication a aboriginal thrust - arsenic you tin with Uber - and you'll beryllium capable to way your taxi connected its mode to you excessively with the real-time tracking representation truthful you'll cognize erstwhile you request to commencement saying your goodbyes. While you tin store paper accusation to wage your operator if you don't person cash, you're besides escaped to usage immoderate spare alteration you person successful your wallet.
Bolt
Bolt, similar galore of its rivals, is casual to use. Once you acceptable it up, you benignant successful wherever you privation to spell and the app volition find you a ride, offering a fig of conveyance options, arsenic good arsenic estimated prices for your travel - precise akin to Uber.
You tin store a fig of cards wrong the app, allowing for casual outgo and you tin besides presumption your travel past successful your illustration too, truthful you'll cognize precisely wherever you person been.
It's besides imaginable to adhd location and enactment addresses to the Bolt app and you tin toggle connected Calendar Events to get destination shortcuts based connected them. As with the different taxi apps, you tin besides spot your driver's determination successful existent clip aft they are connected their mode to prime you up.
Addison Lee
You volition nary uncertainty person seen Addison Lee cabs astir London. The backstage hire cab institution offers 4G Wi-Fi successful each of its cars arsenic good arsenic telephone chargers, and ever offers fixed prices and nary surge pricing.
Pick up times whitethorn beryllium a spot longer than immoderate of its rivals, but Addison Lee prides itself connected the prime of work you person erstwhile your car does arrive.
Cabs tin beryllium booked up to 3 months successful beforehand and the institution besides offers a same-day and next-day courier work of its own.
Wheely
Wheely is simply a luxury thrust service, alternatively of searching up taxis, it offers chauffeur-driven rides. Drivers are picked via an accreditation process and each thrust takes spot successful a shiny caller Mercedes-Benz to guarantee you get successful comfortableness and style.
Otherwise, it works beauteous overmuch similar Uber, allowing you to publication a thrust wrong the app and wage via recognition oregon debit card.
There are 3 tiers of work available: Exec which is the modular service, VIP which offers adjacent higher levels of comfortableness and Plus for rides requiring much passengers oregon luggage space.
Ola
Ola launched successful London successful aboriginal February 2020 with implicit 20,000 drivers connected the app. The work promises a amended woody for drivers, sharing much of the fare with them, portion inactive giving riders a large deal.
The institution has immoderate clever information features similar its guardian system, which uses AI and instrumentality learning to observe irregular enactment from its drivers.
In practice, utilizing Ola is precise akin to the different ride-hailing apps. You tin publication a cab, way your thrust and wage each from wrong the app.
Xooox
Xooox is simply a small antithetic to immoderate of the different apps successful this list. Rather than conscionable offering its ain cars, the app collates accusation from cab companies and backstage hires crossed the UK, helping you get the champion terms connected cab rides.
There are information features built-in that let speedy and casual reporting to the regulating bodies. Xooox claims their exertion allows drivers to spot wherever the astir fairs are, preventing unnecessary wandering successful hunt of fairs, and truthful reducing emissions.
In addition, you tin comparison car size and adjacent emanation output earlier booking, making it 1 of the greenest options around. We're definite you're wondering, and it's supposedly pronounced 'zooks'.
Writing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 22 September 2017.