THERE are more than 3,000 taxi units in Davao City that are already installed with the Hirna App.
After being available for download through Google Play and App store since February 15, the Metro Davao Taxi Operators Association (MDTOA) continues to install smartphones with Hirna app in more taxi units in Davao City.
As of Monday, March 19, MDTOA president Rogelio Largo told SunStar Davao that there are already 3,200 units of taxi in city using the said app.
Installation of the app started on January 23 and they target to install the app in 4,000 to 5,000 taxi units in the city.
Aside from convenience for the part of the passengers, Largo also said it would also be beneficial to the drivers as it would help them save on fuel.
“With the app, the drivers may not necessarily be scouring or roaming around the streets looking for passengers which will consume much of fuel and add more to the traffic congestion in the streets. If we have that working app, taxi drivers will just park in some non-busy area and wait for bookings. In that way, they spend less on fuel and will remove much of the taxi units from the streets,” said Largo in a previous interview.
Hirna App is a taxi-hailing app that was officially launched in December last year.
According to Largo, the advantage of using Hirna hailing app is that it has no booking fees, no surge pricing, and a shorter waiting time. This is brought about by more taxis around the city installed with this app already. On top of that, the app has a 24/7 customer service support to address the queries and complaints of passengers should there be any.
Aside from this, the customer service support can also assist passengers to book a ride even without smartphones.
For the convenience of the passengers and the sustainability of the app, Largo urged Dabawenyos to install to their mobile phones the Hirna mobile app.
As the success of the app is dependent on the number of taxi units using the app, Largo said they are targeting at least 80 to 90 percent of the taxis in Davao City to be equipped with Hirna hailing app.
As required by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), taxi units will also offer other services and features including dashboard cameras, GPS, and Wi-Fi systems.