UNITED DAILY NEWS (Taiwan)
BEIJING- There's a new iPhone app circulating in Beijing that breaks a new barrier in cool convenience, and it comes with a rather awesomely descriptive name: “Yaoyao-zhaoche,” which translates from Chinese as shake-shake cab-calling.
According to the United Daily News, after downloading the app and establishing a paypal minimum balance, a quick shake connects the GPS function on your iPhone to participating cab companies. Within 30 seconds, the client will receive a text message informing him of the nearest car’s model, number plate and driver’s name, phone number and the time it will take to arrive. If the client confirms the information, the deal is done.
Beijing taxis (Herry Lawford)
Once the client gets in the cab, the fee is calculated automatically based on the time and the distance of the journey as tracked by your phone. The charge is then automatically deducted from the client’s Paypal account.
It is the latest attempt to disrupt the traditional system for calling, hailing and paying for cabs, joining the likes of US-based Uber cab.
Currently, this Chinese cab calling system is restricted to only iPhone holders, but the Yaoyao zhaoche company said that they are soon expecting to launch the same service for Android phones. Seeing the good response to this new service system, taxi firms in other Chinese cities such as Hangzhou and Qingdao are already following suit.
