ingogo has revolutionised the taxi business for both passengers and drivers. This is a timely advancement, considering that the competition for taxis, Uber and other ridesharing services, has created a lot of buzz in the last couple of years. Yet taxis remain the better option for an array of reasons – especially when you book your taxi in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth with ingogo.
Why is ingogo better than Uber?
1. Fixed Fares
Both passengers and drivers benefit from ingogo’s Fixed Fares. Fixed, pre-authorised fares and compulsory card payments mean that passengers know the fare upfront before they book and are guaranteed to pay exactly the fare quoted regardless of traffic conditions. No surge pricing, no estimates, no surprise charges, no taking the “scenic route” to get where you are going. Fixed Fares are calculated on the best value route and include all tolls and charges. Uber does not offer fixed fares and tolls and airport fees are in addition to the quoted rates. Surge pricing often comes as a surprise to passengers with typically 1.2x surge pricing resulting in a higher charge than a regular metered taxi. Ingogo fixed fares take the uncertainty out of what you will pay.
2. Safety
Passenger safety is of paramount importance to us at ingogo. Taxi drivers in Australia are all accredited professional drivers who must pass a criminal history and background check and who must undergo regulatory training. Uber has been found in some international markets including India to have not conducted the background check they claimed were done. Closer to home, a female passenger was sexually assaulted in Sydney by her Uber driver. All taxi’s must by law have security cameras for the safety of both passengers and drivers – Uber vehicles do not. Additionally, taxi drivers are required by law to pay for Compulsory Third Party insurance as they are classified as a business vehicle, paying more than $7000 per year for premium insurance cover for both themselves and their passengers in case of any accident or incident. Uber drivers are required to take out only the most basic level of insurance, costing only approximately $800 per annum. As a passenger you need to ask yourself, am I covered with Uber? With ingogo, you know for certain that you are.
3. Convenience
ingogo offers convenience for passengers and drivers alike. Bookings are fast and easy to make via the app or the website, and payments are automated via the app as well. Passengers can book their ride up to 48 hours in advance, with a fixed price and no surge pricing plus then track and contact their driver when he or she is en route. Additionally, passengers are advised of their driver’s number plate, so you know exactly which car is yours when it arrives. Pick up is also guaranteed on accepted ingogo taxi bookings plus you will automatically be sent an email receipt.
Taxi’s can pick up passengers who hail them from the street or designated taxi ranks providing a convenient and flexible way to catch a ride. Business account holders with ingogo can not only book a cab through the app, they can also hail one from the street and still pay using their ingogo account to ensure their receipts go directly to their finance/expense management team using ingogo Flagpay.
4. Professional Driver Training
All taxi drivers in Australia are trained and tested on knowing the streets in their city.. They are professional drivers who drive full time, they are not university students who drive infrequently. The average rideshare driver works ~10 hours a week and typically remains on the platform ~6 months. By comparison the average ingogo driver has been on the platform over 3 years and works full time. Therefore on a whole they are better skilled to handle difficult conditions like storms plus they can navigate themselves out of heavy traffic, as they know the streets.
Drivers are not limited to driving their passengers to their destinations following a GPS. While a GPS can be helpful, drivers are able to fully focus on the road ahead, and therefore forecast potential issues coming up. Uber drivers on the other hand are not required to undertake this training and, as a result, may not necessarily be looking at the road and forecasting potential upcoming issues. They are more reliant on the GPS and this can bring with it an array of safety concerns for passengers.
5. Competitive Business Model
ingogo works with taxi drivers by providing a competitive business model. Not only can fares be processed through the ingogo payment terminal, but ingogo offers many benefits to our member drivers, including a guaranteed start-up bonus, commission on rank and hail jobs, refer a friend and earn, and jobs sent to drivers based on their location.
ingogo encourages a high level of customer service through our incentive and penalty programs. Drivers are rewarded for using our system and providing great service with bonuses and commissions. They also get penalised if they don’t deliver the standard of service we expect – for example if they cancel a booking they are penalised $10 for a general booking and $50 for a booking to the airport.
ingogo is attracting more passengers on a daily basis and this also benefits drivers with more and more work.
6. Earn Frequent Flyer Points
When you book with ingogo, you can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points on every trip booked through the ingogo app. Passengers will earn 750 Qantas Points for their first 3 trips. This is automated and is just one more way ingogo offers rewards to our customers for booking taxis with us.
Discover the benefits of ingogo over Uber by booking a taxi today – you will be delighted with the convenience and transparency of our service.