Hailo Black Cab app: digital hailing for the party season

Here’s another useful app for anyone who struggles to hail a black cab during busy periods (ie when it rains) or argues with their other half as to the BEST place in the road to stand to hail one. Hailo, recently set up by a group of ex cabbies and some investment people (the ones behind Spotify and Skype) is an attempt to bring Black Cabs into the digital world.

The app, which is free, extends your hailing horizon by telling you exactly how close the nearest cab is to you, which you can ‘book’ and then watch as a wee digital cab heads towards you on the screen (the cab sends you a message saying its on its way, who the driver will be and even a picture of him/her). This means you can secure the cab lurking around the next bend before anyone else grabs it. Genius really.

You can also add your credit card details if you register for the service, which means you never have to worry about not having enough cash for the fare and you’re charged the standard cab rate, no extra, for using the service.. You and the cabbie can also rate the ride, which is good for you if you build up a 5star rating (cabbies love a nice customer), and good for the cabbie.

TWR reader @nickhough has been trying it out this week and has found it good for discretely ordering a cab at the end of a meeting, you literally just press the app button to find where your closest one is and how long he’ll take to get to you. No phone call necessary and you are told in minutes how far away the driver is. If you live in the suburbs of London where cabs don’t fly by every minute, this really could be useful for instant help. Check out the details on the Hailo website and be better prepared for the next time you really need a cab.

4 Comments

  • Jude says:

    This looks fantastic! Thanks for tip-off. You could use a strap line like “TWR. We do the research to make your life easier”….

  • Amanda says:

    Jude, all we need now is to adapt the technology for capturing available and interesting men in the same way and we’d be sorted! I think that might make us millionaires…..Ax

  • Jude says:

    Actually, I think there is an app for “that sort of thing” already, but it sounds a bit like hooking up when drunk on a night out, so am a bit wary of it!

  • Amanda says:

    Oh blimey! Really? Perhaps you should wear-test it and write about it? We could be on ‘nutter watch’ for you, hovering in the background like two demented aunts…..Ax

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