Picmi taxi: new public ride-hailing app launched
Program must be used by all cab drivers and aims to reduce number of empty vehicles in Barcelona area
A new public ride-hailing app for taxis was launched on Wednesday by the Barcelona metropolitan area region (AMB).
Called 'Picmi taxi,' it will allow users to request a taxi and will be compulsory in the sector. Cabs will not only pick up clients who hail them down in the street, but also those who do so through the app.
Until now, only private services such as Free Now were available to users, but they did not include all vehicles as 'Picmi taxi' does.
Picmi is available for both Android and iOS devices when downloading the AMB Mobilititat app.
During the presentation of the app, Barcelona Metropolitan Transport (TMB) president Laia Bonet explained that taxi drivers had been "demanding it for a long time."
She also explained that the new system will reduce the number of vehicles circulating without clients on Barcelona area's streets, which in turn is thought to reduce emissions.
'Picmi taxi' will show users the time it will take for a driver to pick them up, the duration of the service, its cost, and alternative means of transport for the journey.
It is a brave step that will help digitalize taxis because we will now have 10,500 vehicles digitally available
Jaime Sau
STAC taxi drivers' union spokesperson
Also, it will show whether there is a taxi stop nearby – in the past few months, 51 small stops have been added to the network, and 140 more will be launched in 2023, which will increase the number to 465 in Barcelona alone.
Yet, the app will not allow users to pay over the phone, so they will still have to pay by card or cash at the end of the ride.
"We always complain that the public administrations do nothing. But now they have, and it is up to us whether we make the most of this new tool," said Tito Álvarez, the head of the Élite Taxi taxi drivers' union.
"It is a brave step that will help digitalize taxis because we will now have 10,500 vehicles digitally available," said Jaime Sau, spokesperson for STAC union.
As for the spokesperson for Agrupació Taxi Companys, Luis López, he said this app does not aim to replace private ones such as Cabify or Bolt because it will not allow taxis to be booked a day in advance, "but to complement hand-raising and to allow users see if they have a stop nearby."