LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--xooox, a ground-breaking new ride-hailing app, launches today across the UK. Invented by UK start-up, Perfect Data, xooox [pronounced ‘zooks’] provides more choice and wider geographical coverage than any other app, making it a one-stop shop for passengers nationwide. xooox also gives cab drivers the freedom to find their own fares and set their own prices, placing them in control of their livelihoods.
With xooox, passengers can search for all available minicabs and other taxicabs in their area at that particular moment, choosing between rides based on a range of criteria, including the fare, type of cab, emissions, ETA, size, and accessibility. As xooox works anywhere in the country – including rural communities and the towns and cities where other apps aren’t licensed or viable – everyone can now use the latest in search technology to hail a cab.
Drivers in control
xooox provides more control for drivers, including the ability to set their own fares. Any of the UK’s 400,000 licensed drivers – independent cabbies and minicab drivers – can use the new xooox driver app for free, with no commission charges.
Unlike existing apps, which tell drivers which passengers to pick up and how much to charge, xooox gives drivers a live map of all local passengers searching for a cab, so they can choose their own work. Drivers set their own prices, decide which jobs they accept and define how far they will travel for a pick-up. They can even flex their offer in real-time.
Darren Tenney, the ex-cab driver who founded Perfect Data, said, “xooox places drivers in control of their livelihoods. For too long, drivers have had two options – find their own fares without the help of technology or be enslaved to an algorithm that dictates how they work. With xooox, drivers are in charge of the tech, not the other way around.”
xooox works in conjunction – rather than competition – with existing operators and minicab firms. Any operator that wants to supplement its advanced bookings with real-time journey requests – or wants to grow its pool of drivers – can use the xooox service for free. Each operator will get access to a live map pinpointing the location of their drivers, as well as nearby passengers.
Fully regulated
xooox has a number of safety measures built in. Only fully licensed drivers can use the app, while passengers can report a driver to their licensing body with one touch of an icon.
All of the UK’s 350+ cab regulators – often local authorities – will get free-of-charge access to the xooox technology platform, enabling them to see a live map of vehicles operating in their areas. For the first time, regulators can automatically check whether the drivers on the streets have the correct licences to operate in their jurisdictions.
“Cab regulators are flying blind. They have plenty of rules about which drivers and operators can work on their patch, but no way of enforcing them,” continued Tenney. “We’re the first ride-hailing service to open up its technology platform to the regulators, letting them see what’s actually happening at street level.”
Environmental benefits
xooox also helps reduce pollution and congestion. The app’s search technology means taxicab drivers no longer need to cruise around in order to search for passengers – journeys known as ‘the dead mile’ – they can let the tech do the work instead. xooox also eliminates the need for minicabs to return back to base empty once they have dropped off a passenger, as these drivers can now search for fares for their return journey too.
Regulatory authorities can use the data from the xooox platform to inform their smart cities and environmental initiatives, including the introduction of low emission zones.
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About xooox:
xooox
[pronounced ‘zooks’] has been developed by London-based start-up,
Perfect Data Limited, to change the dynamic of people in the gig
economy, enabling licensed cab drivers and passengers to strike their
own deals, with no interference from algorithms.
