Do you drive a taxi? Here are the essential apps you can’t live without

Smartphone apps have changed the way the taxi business works. Customers can book a car in a matter of seconds in their app of choice. An often overlooked aspect, however, is how this new paradigm has made things easier for taxi drivers as well. Whether this is your everyday job or you are driving on weekends as a side gig, these apps will significantly improve your job experience.

Stay on top of the weather

Weather is an important factor in how people decide their means of mobility. As a taxi driver, you can use weather forecasts to predict the potential demand for your services. Cold and windy autumn day with incessant rain? Taxi drivers will have plenty to do. First sunny day of spring? Probably more people will decide to take a walk instead. It’s also helpful to be aware of potential road conditions – if it’s going to snow, for example, you will know ahead of time that it might prove to be a challenging day on the road.

To stay on top of any surprises during winter, it’s not a bad idea to install a dedicated weather forecast app. We have picked two reputable apps that will do the job.

If you’re looking for customization: choose Foreca Weather (Android and iOS)

Foreca Weather provides all the essential weather information, plus some bells and whistles. You can see current, hourly, and weekly forecasts and even access various infographics if you want to be serious about it. There are also radar and satellite weather maps available, and you can receive notifications about incoming rain or a storm – you probably don’t want to be caught unaware while driving!

The app is highly customizable, and you can choose to toggle weather parameters based on your personal preferences. The interface is clean and easy to understand despite the wealth of information it provides. Foreca also has a neat weather observation history feature – you can check the historical weather conditions of a particular location. 

Overall, Foreca Weather might be the quintessential weather app – it’s so informative and innovative that some TV weather presenters probably feel less confident about their job security.

If you’re looking for ease of use: choose Yr (Android and iOS)

Yr is the no-nonsense weather app. It is developed by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation with the weather data supplied by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Thus, the app has no ads or extra paid features, and you can put your concerns about privacy at rest.

Yr might not have some of the fancy features offered by their competitors, but it makes it up by reliability and ease of use. Yr is famed for its detailed and accurate weather forecasts – in addition to staples such as temperature, precipitation and wind, it can provide information about air pollution, pollen spread, and UV in your area. There is also a visualization feature that brings weather events to life on a map.

Altogether, Yr might be an excellent digital example of the famed Scandinavian design – it’s easy to use, reliable, and geared towards functionality. 

Enliven your driving with music

Driving can sometimes be a very monotonous experience. If you are tired of listening to your car’s engine and the hum of the traffic, it might be a good idea to put on some music – your passengers might appreciate the ambiance, too. We think the most popular music streaming app will do the job.

Spotify (Android and iOS) is an app that has made a lot of people ditch their dusty CD collections. Make your journey more lively with music – whether you are driving on your own or offering to play a customer’s favorite playlist in your car. You can’t go wrong with Spotify – with a database of more than 70 million songs and 2.2 million podcasts, you are unlikely to run out of stuff to listen to. There is even a dedicated car mode, which you can activate by connecting to your car’s Bluetooth.

You can browse and search music by using various parameters such as artist, genre, and record label. You can create your own playlists and share them with your friends. Another neat feature is the app’s algorithm, which recommends new music based on your taste. The Daily Mix feature offers playlists made of the user’s own favorite tracks mixed with fresh recommendations.

Overall, Spotify will satisfy almost anyone – dedicated melomaniacs will appreciate the ease of listening to their favorites on the go, and casual listeners will have an opportunity to discover new artists and genres via Spotify’s curated playlists and recommendations.

Stay insured without overpaying

As a taxi driver, the question of car insurance should be at the very top of your priorities – you don’t want to take any chances with your work vehicle. A reliable insurance plan lets you drive with confidence with the knowledge that you will be covered in case of anything unforeseen. 

If you are an app taxi driver – and even if you are working a few hours a week as a side gig –  you are still obliged by the EU law to have at least third-party liability insurance. App drivers will be pleased to know that there is now a flexible insurance option available – Cachet (Android and iOS).

Cachet can provide an insurance plan based on your driving hours and driving habits. Don’t spend more than you have to – the rate is based on your actual working hours, which are tracked via the app. In fact, the app takes care of everything – you can set up your insurance policy there, and, later on, any claims can be filled digitally – so it’s a 100% paperless solution.

Sometimes the gig economy is associated with inferior worker protection. However, Cachet proves that it’s a matter of providing the right tools for the job. Due to the sporadic nature of their working hours, app taxi drivers were in need of a more flexible insurance solution – and Cachet has delivered just that.