Taxi-Taxi@SG Launches to Flak from Twitter #RenameTaxiAppByLTA
LTA’s new taxi app, called Taxi-Taxi@SG, is launched today to show taxi availability and location across Singapore.
The taxi app scene has become rather crowded now in Singapore, with new players such as Uber, Grab Taxi, Easy Taxi launching in Singapore and changing the playing field for taxi drivers and commuters. This is alongside existing apps from the taxi operators, which are often limited to their own fleet of taxis.
Which brings the question: in such a crowded space, what is the point of LTA’s app?
Well, the well-meaning LTA intention is so that “commuters can see if there are available taxis near their location, and decide if they should keep waiting at their current location, walk to another location or make alternative transport arrangements”. Taxi drivers also can see the indication of customer location, and head towards them if they desire.
As the regulatory body, LTA can get the taxi operators to provide the specific location of the taxis, even for those who did not install the app. But it doesn’t necessitate that the driver will see your position on the screen and head towards you, so effectively, the app is only good to see where the taxis are. There’s a function to ‘shout’ for a cab, and hope that a taxi will come over. I tried. Nothing after 5 minutes.
It might be handy for instances where you want to see if there are any nearby taxis around before finally deciding to book a taxi, but that’s about it. LTA says that the app is meant more to help those commuters who wish to hail a taxi on the street. But for now, I don’t think it does much in the way of helping. Seeing that there are taxis nearby doesn’t make it easier for you to hail a cab. Furthermore, the Taxi-Taxi@SG doesn’t doesn’t even tell you whether it is booked, on call, empty etc.
Well, the apparent uselessness of the app did not go unnoticed. Singapore twitter users are having fun bashing the app and coming up with more suitable names for it. Error 404: TaxiNotFound was quite good.
Gotta give credit to @MrBrown though – Singapore’s “Blogfather” strikes again, he started the hashtag fun and look where it got us. #RenameTaxiappByLTA is now trending in #Singapore http://trendsmap.com/sg/singapore.
Join the fun on Twitter #RenameTaxiAppByLTA
KaiBoon @boonishere – ChaseTheCabApp
Patty @pattyopines – SGTrollTaxi
KaiBoon @boonishere – HuntForCabApp
FunkShin @funkshin – TaxiTease
Patty @pattyopines – SeeNoTouch
Frederick Tham @FrederickTham – SeeTaxiChaseTaxi
lupcheong @lupcheong – No Cab for Cutie *
Roger Ng @iUnspoken – *LookAtAllTheTaxisICan’tBook
Junyi, 俊毅 @omgitsjy – TaxSee
Melvo @mangrymelvo – Look! Taxi Available… LTA.
Melvo @mangrymelvo – LookSeeLookSee
티아라 @natasha9tiara – #TaxiThereSoWhat
Dee Kosh @TheDeeKosh – FOREVER CHANGING SHIFT TAXI
mrbrown @mrbrown – LookNotBookTaxi *
mrbrown @mrbrown – *WhatTaxi
FunkShin @funkshin – Taximon. Gotta catch ’em all!!!
lupcheong @lupcheong – Infinity Wave III
-HUIYI-blackillusion @huiyi_blackout – Error 404: TaxiNotFound