A real-time taxi fleet management application (app) that addresses a host of daily challenges faced by taxi owners, drivers as well as commuters, is experiencing rapid uptake among owners who want to maximise profit, ensure drivers behave in an appropriate manner and that commuters are safe.
The Quickloc8 application, by Mbavhalelo Mabogo, offers a single platform solution to some of the biggest headaches in the taxi industry.
Apart from being able to track a taxi in real-time and generating reports on the number of passengers for each trip, the innovative platform can also send alerts for over-speeding, harsh driving through its Taxiloc8 feature.
It can also stream high-quality video and audio feed in real-time with its Taxicam feature. The feature also boasts a smart camera that automatically counts the number of passengers and monies paid per load as well as monitors driver behaviour throughout each trip.
Taxicam, which includes a 360-degrees camera, is also easy to plug and install and was specifically designed to cater for most of the taxi models in the domestic market.
The app may also create performance indicators to gauge the effectiveness of the route and a revenue profile for the route office using its web-based Route Offices Administration System (Roads) tool.
This specific tool, Mabogo says, was developed with other potential markets in mind, such as municipalities, government entities, and transport companies.
“One of the key differences is that Quickloc8 has digitised the routes of the different taxi ranks, allowing for real-time compliance tracking. This means that taxi owners can keep track of their fleet’s compliance with regulations, such as how long they have been driving or how many passengers they are carrying. This can help to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents on the road,” Mabogo explains.
He adds added that Quickloc8 has also digitized the locations of the different taxi rank locations, enabling taxi owners to calculate loads by day per taxi in order to optimise the use of each vehicle in the fleet, reduce downtime and increase efficiency.
Since its official launch in Cape Town in 2018, the platform has received support from a growing number of taxi associations from across the country with the biggest users being in Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KZN, Limpopo and Gauteng.
“Our exclusive focus on serving the needs of taxi owners has resonated with the industry, resulting in widespread adoption and positive feedback because we have also made the app very easy to use,” Mabogo says.
The company won the most innovative business award at the Western Cape Entrepreneurship Awards in 2018 and also got a special mention by the then Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande in his annual budget vote speech.