How to Build a Taxi Booking App Like Gett: A Step-by-Step Guide

The taxi and ride-hailing industry has witnessed a revolutionary transformation over the past decade, especially in urban environments like the UK. The convenience of on-demand taxi services has reshaped how people commute, turning smartphone apps into essential tools for daily travel. Among the key players in this domain is the Gett Taxi App — a prime example of innovation and efficiency in ride-hailing solutions.

Ride-hailing apps like Gett have set a new standard for convenience, safety, and seamless transportation experiences. As demand grows, entrepreneurs in the UK are eager to build taxi booking apps like Gett to tap into this flourishing market. Whether you’re an aspiring startup founder or a business looking to diversify, understanding how to create an effective taxi-booking app is crucial.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through every critical step of building a ride-hailing app like Gett – from initial market research to development approaches, essential features, testing, and launching. By the end, you will have clear insights to confidently start your taxi booking app development journey.

Market Research: Understanding the Landscape

Before diving into taxi booking app development, it’s essential to understand your target audience, competitors, and the market’s unique needs.

Understanding the Target Audience and Their Needs

In the UK, urban commuters seek fast, reliable, and affordable transportation. They expect easy-to-use apps with features like real-time tracking, cashless payments, and safety assurances. Understanding these expectations is fundamental when you build an app like Gett.

Target users can be broadly classified as:

• Daily commuters seeking convenience and punctuality
  
• Tourists need easy navigation in unfamiliar cities
  
• Businesses requiring corporate ride solutions
  
• Drivers looking for flexible earning opportunities

Competitor Analysis: Gett and Other Ride-Hailing Apps

The UK ride-hailing market is competitive, with established players like Uber, Bolt, Freenow, and Gett dominating. 

• Gett Taxi App: Gett focuses on booking licensed black cabs with upfront pricing, catering especially to business users and those seeking a premium, reliable service. It emphasizes professionalism and compliance with local regulations.
• Uber: Uber is the most widely used ride-hailing app across the UK, known for affordable fares, diverse ride options, and extensive driver availability. Its user-friendly interface and real-time tracking make it a preferred choice for many urban commuters.
• Bolt: Bolt is rapidly growing in popularity, especially among younger and budget-conscious riders, due to its low fares and frequent promotions. It provides a cost-effective alternative to other major ride-hailing services in key UK cities.
• Free Now: Free Now connects users with both black cabs and private hire vehicles, blending the reliability of licensed drivers with flexible pricing. Available in major UK cities, it offers a professional and convenient app-based booking experience.

Identifying Unique Selling Points (USPs) and Market Gaps

Successful taxi booking apps like Gett differentiate themselves through:

• Exceptional customer service and safety features
  
• Competitive pricing models and incentives
  
• Efficient driver onboarding and management
  
• Integration with local transport regulations

Essential Features of a Taxi Booking App Like Gett

Creating a ride-hailing app like Gett involves three key components — the Rider App, Driver App, and Admin Panel. Each must be designed for seamless interaction and efficiency.

Rider App Features:

• User Registration & Profiles: Enables users to quickly create and manage their accounts via email or social media for a personalized experience.
  
• Ride Booking: Allows users to easily search, select, and book taxis for immediate or scheduled rides.
  
• Real-Time GPS Tracking: Provides live tracking of the driver’s location to keep users informed about their ride status.
  
• Fare Calculator & Transparent Pricing: Estimates trip costs upfront to ensure price transparency before booking.
  
• Multiple Payment Options: Supports various payment methods, including cards, wallets, and cash for user convenience.
  
• Ratings & Reviews: Let users rate drivers and share feedback to maintain service quality.
  
• Ride History: Gives users access to their past trips and receipts for easy reference.
  
• Push Notifications: Send timely alerts regarding ride confirmations, driver arrival, and promotions.
  
• SOS/Emergency Button: Offers immediate access to emergency contacts for rider safety.

Driver App Features:

• Driver Registration & Verification: Streamlines driver onboarding by verifying identity and documents for secure operations.
  
• Ride Requests: Enables drivers to accept or decline ride requests based on availability.
  
• Navigation Assistance: Provides in-app GPS navigation for efficient route guidance.
  
• Earnings Dashboard: Displays real-time earnings and ride statistics for driver transparency.
  
• Availability Toggle: Allows drivers to switch between online and offline modes to control work hours.
  
• Ratings & Feedback: Helps drivers monitor their performance through user ratings and reviews.

Admin Panel Features:

• Dashboard & Analytics: Offers comprehensive insights into app performance, user activity, and financials.
  
• User & Driver Management: Facilitates smooth management and moderation of riders and drivers.
  
• Pricing & Commission Settings: Allows flexible control over fare rates and platform commissions.
  
• Ride Management: Manages ride requests, cancellations, and dispute resolutions efficiently.
  
• Promotions & Discounts: Enables the creation and tracking of marketing campaigns and referral incentives.
  
• Payment Processing: Overseas transaction management and timely payouts to drivers.

Development Approaches to Build a Taxi Booking App Like Gett

When planning to build a taxi app like Gett, one of the first key decisions is choosing the right development approach. Your choice will directly impact the timeline, budget, and scalability of your app. There are two main paths to consider: custom development and ready-made software solutions.

Approach 1: Custom App Development

Custom development involves building your ride-hailing app from the ground up, fully tailored to your business goals and specific user requirements. This method gives you complete control over the app’s architecture, design, and features, allowing for advanced customizations and unique functionalities.

However, custom development also comes with considerable trade-offs. It requires a substantial investment in terms of time, technical resources, and budget. Development timelines often extend several months, and post-launch support demands a dedicated team for updates, maintenance, and scaling.

Pros:

• Fully customizable according to business needs
• Unique UI/UX and branding

Cons:

• High initial cost and longer time-to-market
• Requires experienced developers and ongoing tech support
• More complex to manage and maintain

Approach 2: Ready-made Software

Ready-made software solutions offer a faster and more cost-effective way to launch your taxi booking app like Gett. These pre-built solutions come with essential features like ride booking, driver and passenger panels, GPS tracking, in-app payments, and an admin dashboard—all fully tested and ready to deploy.

With customizable branding, minimal setup time, and proven reliability, these solutions are ideal for startups and businesses looking to enter the UK market quickly. They allow you to build and launch a taxi booking app like Gett without the lengthy development cycle or hefty upfront investment.

Pros:

• Pre-built and fully functional, optimized for performance, security, and scalability.
• Enables faster launch with reduced technical overhead.
• Costs much less than building an app from scratch.
• Minimizes risk and maximizes ROI for startups and enterprises.

Cons:

• Limited flexibility in deep feature customization

Testing Your Taxi Booking App:

Thorough testing is essential to deliver a smooth, secure, and bug-free app experience. It ensures all features work flawlessly, the user interface is intuitive, and the app can handle high user demand without compromising security.

Launching the App:

Launching your taxi booking app in the UK goes beyond deployment—it demands smart marketing, local partnerships, and continuous user engagement. Strategic planning at every stage is key to ensuring long-term success and customer loyalty.

VivoCabs: Reliable Ready-Made Software to Build a Gett-Like Taxi App

Among the many ride-hailing software options in the market, VivoCabs stands out as a robust and reliable solution to build a taxi booking app like Gett. It offers an advanced set of features and essential business APIs to deliver a seamless user experience, real-time ride tracking, and a scalable architecture designed to handle growing demand.

What sets VivoCabs apart is its scalability, flexibility, and customizability. Whether you are launching in a single city or expanding across multiple regions in the UK, VivoCabs ensures smooth deployment and consistent performance, all while reflecting your unique brand identity.

In a competitive market where speed, operational efficiency, and customer experience are critical, VivoCabs is a strategic choice for UK transportation businesses looking to build and grow a high-quality, scalable taxi booking app like Gett.

Conclusion 

Building a taxi booking app like Gett in the UK market is a promising venture with significant growth potential. By conducting thorough market research, incorporating essential features, and choosing the right development approach – ideally a ready-made solution – entrepreneurs can reduce time to market and investment risk.

A focus on rigorous testing and a well-planned launch strategy will further set your app on the path to success. As the ride-hailing industry evolves, embracing emerging technologies and continuously improving your app will ensure you stay competitive.

With this guide, you’re well-equipped to embark on your journey to build an app like Gett and capture the thriving UK ride-hailing market.