Technology Stack of Taxi App Development

Before the advent of Uber, it would have been hard to imagine that the demise of the traditional taxi service would happen so abruptly. But that's the reality of our times. Technology continues to evolve and if a market is stuck on age-old practices where innovation and change are frowned upon, then no matter its size, a disruption could come as quick as a flash. 

At the time, the driving factors for the rise of the online taxi booking service were largely increased convenience, mobility as a service, and ease of use. Although, after a while, the environmental appeal also gained popularity, with people reducing personal vehicle usage for online taxi booking where the travel cost could be distributed if there are additional passengers.

Why is Technology Important?

While it's easy to ascribe the success of Uber to the viability of its business model and the existing market demand, one can’t give enough credit to the technology behind it. It's all too well to identify a target audience's pain points and draw up possible solutions. But the implementation should be equally good for the solution to achieve widespread acclaim.

When it comes to the online taxi booking apps, the technological requirements can be broken down among the following key components:

• The Backend
• App Development for Android/IOS 
• App Design 

Backend of a Taxi Booking Mobile App

The backend as the name implies is very much the backbone of an application and as such its development should be carried out with particular detail. A backend is responsible for binding the app functions with their respective output. It's also the very first stage in a taxi app development process. The two most common programming languages for linking the app to the right interface are JavaScript and Python. 

In the later stage, you have to select a database where the app's data will be securely stored. MSql, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Redis are widely used for this purpose. Backend development can be time consuming and usually requires a lot of resources. But it's good to remember that a strong foundation will serve your mobile app well in time to come.

The App Development for IOS/Android Platforms

A lot of times businesses planning to develop a mobile app, be it for online taxi booking or any other face the dilemma of selecting the right mobile app development platform. With Android and iOS being the most dominant platforms, the choice basically comes down between these two. However, the dilemma shouldn't really exist. Businesses should develop apps for both platforms so as not to miss out on either user base. 

The backend interface for both the apps is the same. Only the tools used in development and the choice of framework is different. To get an idea about the overall technology stack that goes behind an online taxi booking app, we can look at VivoCabs - a white label taxi app solution developed by FATbit technologies.

Android

Build System - Gradle 

Networking - OkHttp, Volley, Retrofit, and Gson

Image Loading - Glide

Automation Coding - Espresso

Background Services - Services

Maps - Google maps

IOS

Repository - : Vivo Cab Rider/Vivo Cab Driver (Github)

Placement and Sizing - : UI image extensions/IQ keyboard manager

Crash Detection - : Fabric  

Testing - : Xcode instruments

Storage - : Local Preferences/Core Data

Backend - : Almoner/Moya/Google Services 

App Designing

The design of your app also plays a key role in its overall success. It mainly consists of graphics designing, user interface and user experience designing followed by some SEO guidelines. There is a whole host of designing tools such as DreamWeaver, Photoshop and Panic Coda that can be used in designing the layout of your app.

Final Thoughts

By implementing the different components highlighted in this blog, you'll be able to build an efficient taxi-booking mobile app. How quickly your app gains traction really comes down to how well you researched your target audience's pain points and your marketing efforts. Therefore, if you've done all the homework in advance, you'll stand in good stead to give your online taxi booking business the launch it needs