APPRECIATING APPS
MailOnline pits ride-share rivals such as Uber, Gett and Kabbee against each other to find out who offers the lowest cost commute in London.
More and more Londoners are turning to rideshare apps to cut out that loathsome commute. With a multitude of apps offering vari- ous prices, MailOnline tested out each one over a five-day period to find out which one has the best price.
Uber, Gett, Kabbee, Wheely and Bolt were tested to find out which one offers the best deals for the same rush-hour journey. A journey from Shepherd’s Bush to Bank station in London was put into the app every day between 8am and 9am, mimicking a commute to work. This journey was input again between 5pm and 6.30pm, a typically busy time as people head home at the end of the day.
On Uber, Gett and Bolt, ‘Shepherd’s Bush Stop D’ was used as a start- ing point for all journeys. ‘Shepherd’s Bush’ was the nearest option on Wheely and ‘Shepherd’s Bush (Central) Underground Station’ was the only option on Kabbee. As all apps, except for Kabbee, offer a price range for potential journeys the highest cost given was used.
UBER:
Perhaps the most well known of the rideshare apps reviewed, Uber was founded in 2009 and since then is said to have garnered around 110 million users in 785 different places worldwide.
In 2017, Uber’s London PH licence was rejected by TfL. It was described as not a ‘fit and proper firm,'’ citing issues with passen- ger safety. The move was backed by Mayor Sadiq Khan, but in June 2018 Uber was granted a 15-month licence after it appealed against a TfL decision not to renew its licence over safety con- cerns. This was due to expire in September 2019, but TfL gave it a two-month extension, at the end of which TfL once again refused to renew the licence. That decision is currently under appeal by Uber London Ltd.
GETT:
Gett, which used to be known as GetTaxi, offers rides with fully licensed black cab drivers in 25 major cities in the UK. It gives the user the option to pay through the app or in cash to the driver. Gett staff have been vocal about the dangers associated with
WHAT’S THE CHEAPEST APP TO USE DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR?
unregulated taxi apps that open the door to unlicensed cabs and drivers, as well as the possibility that rip-off merchants could take advantage of passengers - because a mobile phone app, rather than an official meter, is used to clock up the costs of a journey.
KABBEE:
Kabbee is an app pitched as being 65 per cent cheaper than a black cab, drawing on the fleets of over 70 cab providers - around 10,000 London taxis in total.
All drivers for the service, which is only available in London, are fully licensed, and the firm says it only picks from minicab services with high ratings. Those with low ratings get removed from the service, Kabbee claims.
WHEELY:
While this did turn out to be the most expensive option, Wheely markets itself as a luxury option for on-demand or pre-booked taxi services. London is the only UK city where the app operates.
The app also allows users to book multiple cars in one go and all fares - which remain consistent in the evening back holidays and on weekends - are charged straight to the user’s account.
The website states that Wheely vehicles are ‘new luxury and exec- utive cars without tacky ads or roof lights’.
BOLT:
Estonian ride-hailing service Bolt launched in London earlier last year, two years after a short-lived attempt to expand in the capital. The company, previously known as Taxify, promises cheaper prices for passengers and a bigger cut of earnings for drivers than its com- petitors.
Its previous London launch in 2017 came to an abrupt end after the city’s transport authority ordered the company to stop because it was not licensed to accept private hire vehicle bookings. The com- pany resumed service after rebranding earlier last year to remove confusion over whether it is a licensed taxi operator.
Tallinn-based Bolt operates in 150 cities in 35 countries in Europe, Africa and Australia.
WHAT’S THE CHEAPEST APP TO USE DURING THE EVENING RUSH HOUR?
72
FEBRUARY 2020
£22 £54 £24.10 £41 £27 £1650 £51 £25.10 £35 £26 £15 £49 £27.20 £34 £26 £17 £52 £40.40 £32 £24 £17 £51 £27.20 £53 £25
£26 £59 £27.20 £47 £27 £15 £52 £27.20 £34 £27 £18 £50 £27.20 £41 £26 £15.50 £51 £27.20 £36
£31 £33
£53 £27.20 £43 £27
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