Taxi ride app hits the Port City

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A taxi cab phone app has hit the Port City to help people connect with local cab companies.

Uber has grown in popularity in the area, the app based service gives regular people a chance to make some extra cash as drivers.

Wilmington taxi companies are getting in on the app action. Three Wilmington cab companies are on the Taxi Now Wilmington NC phone app, Carolina Yellow Cab, Lett’s Taxi and Port City Taxi.

Chris Ruehl, a Carolina Yellow Cab driver, is hooked up with the Taxi Now app.

“The customer can look on the app and it tells you where the cabs are located, and lets you know how far they are from you,” said Ruehl. “When you’ve got 100 cabs out there it makes a big difference.”

Ruehl said convenience for customers is the big difference they want to make with Taxi Now.

“For the people in Wilmington and the Wilmington area, like I said the closest one goes to you, and everything is a set rate by the city of Wilmington that’s run by a meter,” said Ruehl.

Because of that Taxi Now doesn’t give the cost of the ride on the app. Ruehl said there isn’t any surge pricing and you don’t need a credit card to start an account unlike Uber.

He said using this app isn’t about competing with Uber, it’s about supply and demand.

“Uber, you can’t find no drivers out there in the day time because they don’t make no money and they all want to work at night time,” said Ruehl. “And with the Taxi Now app is 24 hours a day 7 days a week and you’ve got drivers out all the time.”

Joshua Price, of Price is Right Transportation, said he created a phone app for taxi drivers called Swyft Ride. Price said he struggled getting other taxi companies to be featured on Swyft Ride but he said he sees the importance phone apps have in the business.

“It helps out the drivers be in communication with the customers so they don’t have to call every five minutes wondering where their cab is,” said Price.

Taxi Now is free in the app store, it allows you to book rides now or a future date and time.