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Chicago taxi apps
We test out Uber and the clones.
By Marissa Conrad
Published: December 13, 2012
407.wk.fob.ld.cab
Hailo Launched in November Number of cab drivers 1,800-plus How it works The free app locates you via GPS. Drivers pick up hails on their phones; you get the taxi number, driver’s phone number and ETA. Pay with stored card in one click. Extra fee? $1.50; $2.75 6–10am, 3–6pm Tip You choose Features GPS tracks driver’s arrival, get a text when cab is one minute away and upon arrival; receipt e-mailed What drivers think It’s easy to use and they like not surrendering tips. One complained Hailo pays out only once a week. My experience I needed to catch an Amtrak but my Hailo cab never came. Save that, the service was reliable, though the pickup time was often a few minutes more than estimated and the GPS locator was slightly off, typically placing the taxi on a side street or a few doors down.
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Uber Taxi Launched in April Number of cab drivers “Hundreds,” says Uber community manager Max Crowley How it works See Hailo. The key difference: Payment is automatic on your stored credit card—just hop out of the cab and go. Uber takes 10% of the metered fare. Extra fee? None Tip Automatic 20% Features See Hailo. Plus: Since no action is needed on the app after ordering, send cabs for clients on your dime. What drivers think A lawsuit from local cab companies accuses Uber of misleading customers on where their money goes. My experience Uber Taxi is the newest arm of Uber Black, the town car service that launched in September 2011. The service let me skirt the $7 or $14 town car or SUV pick-up fare and the $3.50 or $4.50 per mile fee (compared to a cab’s $1.80). The cabs were extremely reliable, even on a busy night downtown.
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Taxi Magic Launched in 2009 Number of cab drivers 5,000-plus How it works The free app locates you. Pick one of six fleets; the dispatcher alerts drivers. The app sends taxi number, distance and ETA. Pay with stored card or in the cab. Extra fee? $1.50 if you pay via the app Tip You choose Features Schedule taxis up to 24 hours in advance; receipt e-mailed if you pay with the app What drivers think What app? The calls come through their system just as if you had phoned a cab company. My experience This alternative to calling a single cab company isn’t necessarily better than picking up the phone. The app twice froze, then buzzed hours after my rides saying my cab had been dispatched. The GPS tracker didn’t work. But it’s an option if you don’t like storing your credit card info in apps.
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SnagCab Launched in September (still in Beta) Number of cab drivers 500 How it works The free app locates you and “snags” the closest cab, giving the driver the option of accepting. Pay the driver directly. Drivers pay $5 a month to use the service. Extra fee? None Tip You choose Features Track driver’s arrival via GPS; coming soon: Snag the taxi you want from a map of nearby cabs. What drivers think Inconclusive My experience SnagCab’s “All cabs in your area are currently busy” alert came up on every use. I wish there were more cabs and less snags.
Hailo Launched in November Number of cab drivers 1,800-plus How it works The free app locates you via GPS. Drivers pick up hails on their phones; you get the taxi number, driver’s phone number and ETA. Pay with stored card in one click. Extra fee? $1.50; $2.75 6–10am, 3–6pm Tip You choose Features GPS tracks driver’s arrival, get a text when cab is one minute away and upon arrival; receipt e-mailed What drivers think It’s easy to use and they like not surrendering tips. One complained Hailo pays out only once a week. My experience I needed to catch an Amtrak but my Hailo cab never came. Save that, the service was reliable, though the pickup time was often a few minutes more than estimated and the GPS locator was slightly off, typically placing the taxi on a side street or a few doors down.
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