Arro Archives - TravelSkills

New apps will help taxi drivers compete against ride-sharing. (Image: Jim Glab)

As ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue their relentless growth and gain access to passenger pick-ups at more airports, some new technologies are in the works that could help licensed taxis compete more effectively.

Flywheel, which provides an app that consumers can use to request taxi pick-ups in six western cities, is starting to test a new smartphone-based taxi meter that will let taxi drivers consolidate much of the equipment and systems they now use.

The GPS-based TaxiOS for Android phones will replace dispatch systems, navigation, payment systems and meters in a single app. Customers would be able to make cashless payments and track their rides with the app, just as they do with Uber and Lyft. It will also work with telephone dispatch systems, and passengers could still raise their hand to hail a cab in the street.

TaxiOS is being tested in some taxis in San Francisco and will be expanded after regulatory clearance.

Meanwhile, a 2016 launch in New York, London and Singapore is planned for the new Karhoo app, which has raised $250 million thus far in venture capital funding. New York-based Karhoo will work with existing taxi and black car fleets, letting the customer see and compare his ride options at a glance, and summon a nearby driver for a pickup.

Company officials say that when Karhoo launches in New York City, it will be working with fleets that include 28,000 yellow cabs and black cars currently operating there, thus avoiding the kinds of regulatory hoops that Uber and Lyft are having to jump through to enter a market.

And there’s Arro, an app available for Android and Apple phones that’s currently in use in New York and coming soon to Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Like Flywheel, Arro can be used to hail licensed taxis and to pay for the ride — even if the customer didn’t use the app to request the vehicle. It also promises regular taxi fares with no Uber-like surge pricing.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

Do you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

Please join the 100,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

UberX drivers can now pick up passengers at Oakland Airport (above) and Sacramento Airport. (Image: Oakland International Airport)

The Uber ride-finding juggernaut just keeps rolling along. In the latest developments, Uber is becoming a part of Hilton Hotels’ app, and a pair of California airports now allow ride-sharing passenger pick-ups (with Las Vegas not far behind). But licensed cabbies in New York and London are getting some apps of their own to compete against Uber and Lyft.

Hilton said it is upgrading its HHonors mobile app with a new Uber partnership. The new “Uber Ride Reminder” feature will summon a car for a trip to or from the hotel when the user is ready. “The ‘Ride Reminder’ will send a push notification or text, and the hotel’s address is automatically set in the Uber app, so guests can simply be on their way,” Hilton said. Another new app feature called “Local Scene,” available for 20 major U.S. cities, will give users a list of the most-visited venues requested by Uber riders.

Want to get $20 off your first Uber ride? Here’s how!

Meanwhile, Uber is adding more airports in the western U.S. In California, Oakland International Airport now allows UberX drivers to pick up and drop off passengers as part of a new pilot program. And Sacramento International Airport signed an agreement that took effect this week allowing Uber drivers to pick up passengers there; it is in the process of negotiating a similar pact with Lyft. The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a plan to allow UberX and Lyft pick-ups at Los Angeles International, but there’s no firm start date yet– but we are monitoring this…

In Nevada, the ride-sharing companies are now expected to start operating at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport in late October. The Nevada Transportation Authority is likely to approve new rules for the companies next week, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, and an ordinance allowing the service is expected to be voted on by the Clark County Commission on October 20.

Don’t miss out on this: How to get a free trip to Hawaii on Virgin America

Traditional licensed taxi drivers in major cities have been the most vocal opponents of expanded operating rights for the ride-sharing companies, and now they could benefit from new technology that will put them on more even competitive footing.

In New York City, a public roll-out is expected in a couple of weeks for a new smartphone app called Arro. It will work through the existing payment systems and video screens in most of the city’s 13,000 yellow cabs, allowing them to accept pick-up requests placed by consumers who have the app on their phones. Like the Uber and Lyft apps, Arro will use the customer’s credit card info to pay the fare plus tip.

FlyWheel, a similar app for getting cab rides and tracking arrivals via GPS (and does NOT impose irritating surge pricing), is already operating in these west coast cities: San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego.

And in London, drivers of the city’s traditional black cabs are counting on an app called Gett to help them ward off the Uber competition. The app will not only allow users to hail a licensed taxi, but will also offer them fare discounts of up to 30 percent for longer journeys during off-peak hours.

Want to get $20 off your first Uber ride? Here’s how!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers

Can tech rescue taxis from ride-sharing?

Uber update: Hilton app, Vegas, LAX, Sacramento, NYC, London