Uber Clone – Is It The Future Of Quick-Launch Ride-Hailing Apps?

There are people who just curse the problems, situations and then, there are people who find solutions. Beyond these, there are some people who can find solutions that cannot only be applied at that point in time but can be scaled to a global level. This is what precisely happened with Uber. Two people who could not find a way to get back to the hotel from an event in Paris ended up revolutionizing the entire transportation industry by bridging the gap between demand and supply.

Uber was founded in the year 2009 in San Francisco, and today, it has a global presence operating in over 600 cities worldwide. It might face local competition, but it cannot be denied that at a global level, Uber is invincible and incomparable.

The open market 

Uber might look like a leviathan but the market for ride-hailing is quite wide and open. We just saw that Uber has its presence in over 600 cities. Considering the fact that there are more than 50,000 cities across the globe, it might not be an exaggeration to say that it is not only possible for a new player to mark a prominent presence but also make a huge profit.

If all these surface statistics are enough, the ridesharing market is projected to grow at a staggering CAGR of about 17.5% between 2020 and 2024. It implies that the market that was worth about $192.2 billion in 2020 will reach a market value of $365.9 billion by 2024. The use of penetration currently stands at about 19.3%, and in another four years, it is expected to reach closer to the 21% milestone. Although the United States leads today in terms of market contribution, the supremacy is slowly expected to slip into the hands of markets like China and India.

How does Uber work?

The epicenter of Uber’s efficiency lies in its effective use of GPS, mapping, and user profiles.

A customer signs up and registers with the app. They can choose the source and destination and pick an option for the car. It could vary in terms of car type, and proportionately, the fare. Alternatively, the user can also consider letting the GPS choose the location, so it can more precisely address the pick-up point.

Once the user places a request, it is sent to the drivers in the vicinity. The driver can either accept or reject the request. As soon as the request is accepted, the driver is shown the location of the user, and using the GPS and navigation, the driver can navigate to the location of the user.

The user is picked up and dropped at the destination again assisted by the GPS for efficient routing. Once the user has been dropped, the payment can be either auto-deducted from the payment instruments already attached to the app, and in some cases, the user can pay to the driver using cash.

The process does not end here. To make the entire system democratic, the user can rate the driver based on their experience and the driver also can do the same based on the users’ behavior.

Building an app like Uber

Given the statistics and the market, it seems like a lucrative business idea to start a ride-hailing business. It might be difficult to build an app from scratch. You might have to either employ your own team of developers or partner with an app development company, both of which can be expensive affairs.

Alternatively, you can consider using an Uber clone app. The white-label Uber clone script is easy to customize and can be launched at the earliest. Since you are, in essence, buying and customizing a product you can also be assured that there will not be any bugs and glitches that might interfere with the basic functionality of the app.

In all of this, it should be remembered that as an entrepreneur it is important for you to know the features of the app that can be considered mandatory. In addition, it is also an advantage if you can suggest features that might help you stand out from your competition.

In the lines below, we have detailed the features that essentially need to be present in an Uber clone app.

The features

As you would have inferred from the way in which the app functions, there are three distinct applications, one for the user, one for the driver, and another, for the administrator to oversee the app and all its functions. Each entity needs to be provided with an app that brims with features that make it easier for them to execute the intended process.

The user app

What made Uber a runaway success is its simple and intuitive user interface. The user interface of your Uber clone app script should also enable users to book a cab in simple and easy steps.

• The user should be able to quickly register for your services either by using classic login mechanisms like email and phone number, or social media and legacy logins like Facebook and Google.
• The registration should also create a profile that shows the user list of all the rides that they have taken. The profile should have details like the pick-up address, the payment methods, and every other bit of information that will make it easy for the user.
• They should be able to book a taxi without any hassle and should be able to execute the process in a maximum of three steps.
• Based on the dynamics like traffic, distance, and the type of car, the user should be given an estimate of their ride.
• The GPS should enable tracking off the driver until they reach the pick-up, and after they are picked up, they should be able to track the movement of the car, so they can ensure that the driver is moving in the right direction.
• They should be able to connect with the drivers over chat and call enabled right within the app.
• They should be able to make the payments for their ride without any difficulties.
• The app should be integrated with a payment gateway that accepts multiple payment methods.
• They should be able to review the driver based on the experience.

The driver app

• Just like the user, the driver should also be able to easily create a profile. However, it is important to include a section that will involve verifying the identity and authenticity of the driver.
• They should be able to receive notifications about new trip requests. They should also have the right to accept or cancel any requests that they might get.
• They should be able to access the location of the user and use the GPS and mapping systems to ensure that they reach the place without any hassle.
• They should have the payments processed to the bank account as fast as possible. It should be remembered that most drivers depend on your app like Uber for their income.
• The driver should be able to receive reports on the number of trips taken, and their total earnings on a weekly or monthly basis.
• To keep the entire system balanced, the driver should also be able to rate the user according to their behavior.
• Such advanced features like enhanced learning because of meeting targets, additional payouts for waiting time, and accepting a ride request while at the verge of completing a previous trip can be included.

The admin app

The administrator serves as the all-powerful Supremo of the app.

• They should be able to manage the customer and driver details through CRM.
• They should have the power to manage the bookings of users and drivers. They should also be able to enable and disable users and drivers based on their ratings, reviews, and behavior.
• They should have the power to dictate the commissions and payouts for the drivers.
• They should have complete access to manage the content of the app including but not limited to promotions and discounts.
• The administrator is also responsible for customer support, and if need be, they can delegate customer support to a team.

The COVID-19 transformation

The coronavirus crisis has affected the world in possibly every spirit of life in the past few months. It means that businesses might not be the same at least in the foreseeable future. Even when it comes to the ride-hailing industry, there have been a lot of transformations and changes that have redefined what could be called the norm.

There are a few steps that have been taken by a lot of app-enabled cab booking companies all over the world.

• The driver has the right to cancel a booking if they know that they have to pick up someone from the coronavirus red zone.
• They also can reject requests if they see that there are more than two passengers who will need to be picked up. As you may have known, the COVID-19 crisis has mandated that passengers cannot share the front seat with the driver. Plexiglass barriers have been introduced between the passenger section and the driver section of the car.
• The drivers will have to ensure that the car and the passengers are sanitized and they wear masks. They can even reject requests if the passenger does not wear a mask. On a parallel note, the driver will not be allowed to start their ride if they do not confirm that they are wearing a mask as well. The verification can be enabled through artificial intelligence.

Conclusion

The success of businesses like Grab, Wheely, Careem, Go-Jek, Lyft, 99, and Ola only go on to prove that the possibilities of success and profit in the ride-hailing industry are quite positive and promising. Now that you are well-aware of the features, all you need to do is ensure that you find the right Uber clone script provider who will not only provide you with a flawless script but also take care to customize your app. It is all just a matter of time before you kickstart your ride-hailing business through an Uber clone app.