When you use the app in ‘LOCAL Mode’, there is nothing to be setup. Click on ‘For Hire’ in the app and the meter starts running.

In ‘LOGIN Mode’:
1. Register as a new member by clicking on this link and then click on ‘Register’.
2. Setup your Tariff
3. Setup your Drivers

For the calculation of the fare: NO. You can perfectly start a trip and complete the whole trip process till the end without Internet connection.

For backend services, like upload of trip data to the server: YES, but if there is no Internet connection, app will try to connect regularly.

A driver login and logout needs Internet access, but in case there is none, the driver can login and logout locally on the device.

For the calculation of a quote, Internet is needed.

After the start of a new trip, it waits for a given number of seconds before activating an alternative calculation method. It will then apply the Waiting mode tariff and will increase the meter amount pro rata at a given time frequency.

If you don’t like that, we can configure your tariff to apply a different amount per second waited.

One of our clients is using our app in a situation where the taxi stand is below ground level where absolutely no GPS signals get through. The app manages this situation: it remembers the previously used tariff and starts calculating with that one.

When the GPS finally comes in, it takes up the usual calculation process.

If GPS signals are problematic in your place, you might want to consider using OBD.

The app is either using GPS signals or OBD data for its calculations.

Please check our section related to OBD

OBD:
With OBD data, we get a distance calculation accuracy that is the closest possible to the distance measured by the car’s odometer.

GPS:
You need to be aware that GPS-based and classical meters can, by the nature of physics, never calculate the same distance for the same trip.
Why is that? Classical meters measure the number of wheel rotations to calculate the distance. Due to tire degradation this gets more and more imprecise over time and the measured distance increases. That’s why calibration is needed.
Classical meters tend to calculate a slightly higher distance compared to a GPS-based meter.
We have a complex filtering and enhancing algorithm in place. It decides, based on previous signals, if a newly received signal should be considered, rejected or modified.

At a loss of GPS signal situation, the app uses the tariff’s waiting mode setup in order to accrue the fare. When the signal returns, it calculates the distance between GPS loss and the new signal. It compares then the temporarily calculated value with the newly calculated value and takes the higher of both.
In cases where the tunnel is a straight line on a map, the calculated value will be correct.
In cases where the tunnel is not a straight line on the map, there might be a small deviation in the calculations.

On a more general note, if you need to drive a lot through tunnels, OBD is the safer choice.

It really depends on where you use it.

In the European Union, using a smartphone/tablet for the calculation of the fare is not allowed, and the hurdles to get an app approved for this functionality are purpously unsurmountable. Noone has dared trying it, but some well-known peer-to-peer  ride-sharing platform ignores the law and has such functionality built into its driver app.
If you are a Limousine company, chances are very good that you can use Taximeter-GPS without infringing the law.

In the United States and Canada, using an app like ours has been made possible by the Authorities in many places. In Washington DC, the Regulator has gone that far as to decide that all taxis must be equiped with a digital meter app.

We suggest that you check directly with your local Authorities about your specific situation.

We support both iOS (9.0 or higher) and Android (4.4 or higher).

We have decided to focus primarily on Android. The reason is quite simple: taxi drivers are preferring the less expense Android smartphones and tablets. We see that more than 80% of our users are using Android devices.

On some Android devices, the GPS chip is of poor quality and we have excluded them in Google Play. If you don’t see the app in Google Play, it is because your device is not fit to run the app.

We recommend running the app on a tablet, rather than a phone.

There is a number of reasons:

Functional richness

Our app is, by very far, the functionally richest taximeter app available.
We manage all possible scenarios, including abnormal termination of the app by Android or iOS.
Take a look at the impressive long list in our ‘Features’ section.

Precision in all circumstances

Developing a taximeter app is not as straightforward as one might think. There are really many scenarios to manage (like loss of GPS signal in tunnels, loss of OBD connection, filtering GPS signals of insufficient accuracy, start trip in an area without GPS signal, …) and we have come across all possible scenarios since we started with our first app version in 2011.

Management

On top of the sole taximeter functionality, there is much more that is needed.

We are focusing strongly on management functionality for the Taxi Company. For instance, you can setup your company tariff centrally and change it in advance. You can maintain your drivers with user-id and password, view all your drivers’ trips and follow their route on a map. You can generate passenger receipts, prevent drivers from changing settings in the app, add your company logo to the app and so forth.

Self-Service

With us, there is no need to kick-off a project. You can do all the setup by yourself, although we are very happy to assist you in every step.

Yes. But the app will ask at the start of a new trip to confirm that you want to keep the previous Extras. (iOS only)

iOS: Go to ‘Settings’ and click on ‘Taximeter Color’.

Android: For LOGIN Mode, set the PRICEACCRUEDCOLOR Instruction in your Tariff setup

Yes, click on ‘Tariff Details’ in the menu and all tariff details will be displayed.

If you don’t login, the app will use the official tariff that is applicable in your City. If it doesnt find a tariff, it will choose the geographically closest. If you want to use the full power of our app, we recommend to register on our website and setup your own tariff and drivers.

Yes, simply do a longclick on the ‘Start’ button and confirm.

Yes, it does and saves it in the trip History from where you can send it again.

It also generates a QR-code with the link to the Receipt.(For logged in drivers)

iOS: Click on the Logo to have the QR-Code displayed.

Android: Click on the trip reference number in the status bar for displaying the QR-Code.

In conjunction with our BackSeat app, passenger can type in his cellphone number and have the receipt sent by SMS or to his E-mail account.

The receipt is in fact a link to our website. The format of that link is something like https://taximeter-gps.com/123-Ab7

Yes.

iOS: Click on the XTR button.

Android: Click on the ‘EXTRAS’ text .

The app will display the total for all selected Extras in case at least one Extra has been selected.

Yes.

If the appropriate settings, the app will prompt for the final amount including the tip.

In case of payment by credit card, the passenger will be able to add the tip in the payment process.

Yes, the trip number will be calculated by our server at start of trip.

There is a number of options.

QR-Code: The app generates a link to the trip URL. On iOS, click on the logo to get it displayed. On Android, click on the trip reference number displayed in the status bar.

Alternatively, at the very end of a trip, the app will open a window with available distribution possibilities:

-Airdrop. Some of our clients have produced an information flyer that they display in the cab to instruct the passenger on how to  receive it.

-Email

-SMS

-Printing

-BackSeat app where passenger can type in his cellphone number or email address.

Start: click the button on bottom right.

Stop: Click that button again.

Cancel: Do a longclick on that button and confirm.

Suspend: Longclick on the button next left to the stop button.

Waiting mode (upon passenger request): Click on the icon to the left of to the stop button.

Waiting mode is triggered automatically when speed drops below cross-over speed.

Yes, there is an expanded view containing only the trip relevant data without the map.

iOS: click on ‘Expanded View’.

Android: Click on the car icon at the top.

iOS: yes. Simply click on the ‘MTR’ button and set the amount to your wishes.

Android: Click on the ‘EXTRAS’ text and then on ‘Flat Fare’

You can setup waiting thresholds: when cab is in Waiting mode, it will display the time waited in yellow color as soon as the yellow threshold value (in minutes) is reached. When the red threshold is reached, the waiting time will be displayed in red color. This feature can be used when the driver is requested to wait a minimum time before he is allowed to leave in case of a passenger no-show.

The processes continue to run in background mode. As soon as you bring the app to foreground again, you will notice that it has continued to calculate the fare.

This is a rare event, but app manages this as well. On restart, it will detect that this situation has happened and it will treat the situation just like a loss of GPS signal in a tunnel.

There are 4 types:

– Flat: Overwrite the calculated meter amount by a ‘Flat Rate’, like $50.00 Airport to City Center.

– Percentage: Apply a percentage to the calculated amount. A percentage can be a negative number for the calculation of a discount.

– Amount: Can be used for Extras like ‘luggage’. This Extra can be selected multiple times.

– Specific: Apply an Extra amount during the trip. This is useful when the Extra is not known in advance, like a variable Toll fee. The amount needs to be put in by the driver during the trip.

Yes, you can do a tariff setup very easily both on iOS and Android, but only in ‘LOCAL Mode’.

You need to be aware that such a tariff is local to your device and cannot be copied to another device.

You will setup the tariff structure, the area where it is applicable, its timetable and its extras.

The recommended way, if you have more than one driver in your company, is to do the setup on our portal.

It certainly can.

We are able to setup and run with all kinds of tariff structures applied around the globe.

It is a very exceptional situation when we see that a specific tariff structure somewhere in the world cannot be managed. If you have any doubts about your tariff, please contact us.

We do (non-exhaustive list):

· Flagfall, incl. Distance and / or Time

· Minimum Charge

· Crossover Speed

· Slow Traffic / Standstill

· Combination Time and / or Distance

· Waiting Mode, with or without initial delay

· Change tariff after amount or distance threshold

· Rounding on / off

· Different tariff for different day in week

· Different tariff for different time of day

· Unit Accrual

The app comes with about 200 tariffs from more than 50 countries that we maintain in our database. We check these tariffs regularly to make sure that they are accurate.

The app knows your position and it knows which tariff is applicable at which day or time of day.

That’s all it takes to make the right selection!

In order to make the app work in all cases, it will select the geographically closest tariff if no tariff was found.

Should you come across a tariff that is outdated, please contact us.

If you have setup your own tariff (on the device in ‘LOCAL Mode’, or downloaded from backend in ‘LOGIN Mode’), the app will use that tariff.

The app remembers the last tariff used by the driver, and if still valid, will select it again. If that is not correct, the driver can switch manually to another tariff.

iOS: click on the + or – icon in the small tariff display window or in the ‘View Tariff’ menu.

Android: Do a longclick on the fare and make your selection.

Please note: The driver can never switch to an invalid tariff.

Yes!

In ‘LOCAL Mode’, click on the corresponding Menu option and configure a tariff to your needs.

In ‘LOGIN Mode’, do all the setup work on our portal.

You need to setup your drivers under the ‘Drivers’ tab.

The tariff creation process on the website sends an automated email with instructions on how to get your tariff loaded.

If you don’t see it please check your spam folder.

Logo: a URL link to your company logo. Will be displayed in the app and on passenger receipt.

Rounding up or down: as the name indicates, the calculated fare will be rounded up or down.

Confirm fare: Should app ask for a fare confirmation at end of trip? If set, the driver will be able to overwrite the calculated fare amount.

Tipping: Should ask for tipping amount at end of trip?

Url at Go: A URL to be called to upload data at start of trip. If you type in the letter ‘d’, the website will fill in the default value. But you can use your own URL to receive that data to your server. Contact us for a description of the data format that will be sent.

Url at Stop: Same as ‘Go’, but at end of trip.

Private Free Text: for your internal purpose.

Company Name: Taxi company name that will be displayed on the receipt.

Company @: Email address that will be displayed on the receipt.

Taxi Company Tel: telephone number that will be displayed on the receipt.

Valid from and Valid to: (optional) You can specify the validity dates for your sub-tariff. This allows you to maintain a future change of your tariff.

Add Screenshot: Should a screenshot be added to the data sent to the server at end of trip?

Payment methods: Should app ask for payment methods at end of trip?

This field is not available for you to maintain, and is used to tell the app about specific behavior requirements.

It can contain special data elements, like your Square Client ID, or if a Rooflight should be managed.

Please contact us if you have specific requirements.

When you are logged in, the app will always refresh the device’s local copy of the tariff from the database at every start of trip.

No, we don’t charge extra for the payment process support.

Yes, it does.

We are currently supporting Square and PayPal Braintree. We are open to integrate additional payment processors.

Yes, the app will prompt for payment method and upload this data to the backend server. You can switch this prompt to ‘on’ or ‘off’ in the Settings.

We have published instructions for Square here“

We will implement support of additional credit card payment systems as our users ask for it.
Get in touch with us and we will discuss with you about the next steps.

We know that every client is different and has his own very specific requirements.

We can already configure quite a lot by just setting parameters in your taxi tariff, but very often this is not sufficient.

If this is your case, then we do specific client app versions (‘White Label’).

Here is a non-exhaustive list of changes we can bring to the app for your specific business needs:

⁃ The app is published under the client’s accounts in the AppStores.

⁃ Any references to ‘Taximeter-GPS’ or ‘Blue Lion Solutions’ are removed.

⁃ The app icon is replaced with the client logo.

⁃ The splash-screen is replaced with the client logo.

Login process:

⁃ The login process performs an additional check with the client’s driver database and calls a client script.

⁃ Login credentials require specific client data to be entered by the driver.

⁃ On first login by the driver, the app generates an initial password that is displayed in the app and confirmed by email to the driver.

Functional changes:

⁃ A maximum charge per trip can be added.

⁃ Fixed price setting for a trip can be removed.

⁃ Taximeter color display cannot be changed by the driver.

⁃ Some Menu and Settings items can be removed.

⁃ Contact email address in the app can be changed to a client’s email address.

⁃ Extras from a previous trip are ignored and new Extras are set automatically for the specific client situation.

⁃ FAQ can be changed with text provided by client.

⁃ Legal Disclaimer and Privacy Policy statement can be changed with text provided by client.

Backend changes:

⁃ Driver Tracing does not update the app’s database but forwards the position directly to the client’s EventHub.

⁃ Trip Details can be automatically forwarded to the database managed by the client.

… and much more, according to your specific needs!

The initial setup costs are chargeable. Together with you, we will establish the scope of changes that you require. Depending on this, we will make you an offer.

The monthly subscription for a White Label app is set to a minimum of EUR 1000.

We went live with our Uber-like Dispatching functionality in June 2019.
Everything is in self-service mode. Simply login on website and start configuring your vehicle types, cars, drivers,…
No need for an upfront payment to kick-off a project.
No minimum number od drivers or minimum running period.

Please take a look at our ‘Pricing’ section.

Our users are professional taxi and limousine companies, as well as Regulatory Authorities for the taxi business.
Although the app can be used by passengers to calculate a fare in advance or to check if the correct tariff is applied, it remains that our focus is completely set on servicing the taxi business.

You can add specific text to the field ‘Receipt Information’ in your tariff. This text will be displayed on the passenger receipt and in the BackSeat app.

If you check the box ‘Block Using App After Logout’ in your Tariff, then your driver will not be able to use the app when he is logged out.

The tariff loaded from the database is protected against any change by your drivers. The Taxi Company Manager will own the user-id and the password to do any tariff changes.

If you have for example a ‘Night’ and ‘Day’ tariff, your driver will not be able to do a manual selection. The app will automatically choose the right one and prevent any change.

Similar for week-end tariff on a workday.

You can block the usage of the app after driver has logged out.

The app records ‘idle’ trips, meaning distance travelled with meter switched off. These trips are recorded on the device and sent to our portal.

We have introduced a feature that forces the driver to put in the car’s odomoter value at each login and logout.

Yes, you can configure your tariff to receive trip data in your database rather than ours.

In ‘White Label’ mode much more is possible.

On our portal (website), you can:

– Setup your tariffs.

– Manage your drivers and supply them with user-id and password to login in the app.

– See all trips (run queries and download data in Excel format) done by your drivers, including screenshot taken at end of trip.

– Trace your driver’s position on a map.

– Calculate the fare in advance.

Yes, but on iOS only.
The app has the starting and end points and can calculate how much the trip should have costed.

Yes, simply drag the origin pin or destination flag and app will open a small window with the calculated fare.

Yes.

The window displayed will show a + and – icon to increase or decrease average speed for that trip.

Yes, on iOS a calculated Quote can be used to overwrite the taximeter amount.

Tap on ‘MTR’ next to the fare and cycle through the different modes:
MTR -> FIXED -> FIXS -> FIXS+ -> MTR

FIXED: App will ask for a fixed price.

FIXS: When a Quote has been calculated and when your location’s and Quote’s City / Area are identical, it will switch to FIXS and overwrite the taximeter with the amount from the Quote.

FIXS+: The meter amount already accrued will be increased by the amount from the Quote. This is useful in a scenario in which you want to know how much the trip from your current location to your destination will cost and taximeter is already running.

You want to know what the fare will be from Champs Elysées to Montmartre in Paris?

Or from Sydney Opera House to the Airport?

No problem, you can calculate this, both in the app and on our website.

Drag Pin (starting point) and flag (destination) on the map. Routes and quote will be shown on the map.

Alternatively, tap on the calculator symbol, then select the tariff and type in starting point and destination. The view will show the calculated Quote.

When you return to the main view the calculated route and Quote will be displayed. You may tap on the flag to get details about the calculated Quote.

There are 2 options to ask for a Quote:

1. Tap on the Calculator icon (or “Get A Quote For A Trip” in the menu) .

2. Drag Pin (starting point) and flag (destination) on the map. Routes and Quote will be shown on the map.

When using the first option, you will be presented with a new display:

Tap on the grey search box to select the city for which you want to get a Quote.

The list of possible starting points and destinations contains 3 options by default:

(Current Location)

Will be shown when your current location is within the selected City / Area.

(Starting Point Last Trip)

Will be shown when your previous trip started within the selected City / Area.

(Destination Point Last Trip)

Will be shown when your previous trip ended within the selected City / Area.

Use the searchbox ‘From:’ to receive hints for your starting point. Use the searchbox ‘To:’ to receive hints for your destination.

This feature offers bookmarks. Tap on the bookmark symbol, and you will get a list of all saved starting points / destinations for which a Quote was already calculated for. You can sort alphabetically, by date of usage and by frequency of usage. Tap ‘Exit Bookmarks’ to return to the normal search function. While bookmarks are activated, the searchboxes serve as a filter to the entries displayed.

Select starting point and destination by tapping on the relevant lines. Selection will turn to green color when valid. If color is yellow, then starting point cannot be selected because it is outside of the polygon defined for this City / Area.

Should flat rates exist for the selected City / Area, they will be displayed as well. In order to see the routes calculated for this uote, tap on the exit button.

It is important to note that, when you calculate a Quote during a running trip, app will automatically disable reframing the map. A warning message will inform you about this fact. The map will position itself to the calculated routes.

Details are shown on main screen as well. The shown callout can be hidden and shown alternatively.
You can switch between the different routes displayed by tapping on its number on the map or by tapping on the route number at the bottom of the screen.

When traffic alerts exist, an alert sign will be shown in the menu. Tap on the alert sign to get details.

Website, under ‘View Trips’

iOS:

Click on ‘History’ in the menu and view all your previous trips.

Click on ‘Show Days’ and type in the number of history days to be displayed.

Click on ‘Retain Days’ and type in the number of history days to be stored on the device.

Click on ‘Download (New)’ or ‘Download (All)’ and give a valid e-mail address in order to start the transfer of your historical trips data. The double arrow on the left of each entry indicates the status of the transfer (Grey=not transferred yet, yellow= in progress, green=completed, red=failed).

The data sent to your e-mail account will contain a zip file with the following documents (where xx represents the trip number):

– historyxx.csv (Summary of the trip)

– movesxx.csv (GPS signals, speed and meter amount. Approx. 1 record per second)

– Receipt xx.png (Passenger Receipt at End of Trip)

The share icon allows re-sending the Receipt related to this trip. Tapping on the information button will display the screenshot from that trip.

Tapping the minus icon will delete this entry. A confirmation will be asked.

The TOTAL line sums up total time, distance and fare for trips displayed.

Android:

Click on ‘History’ in the menu and view all your previous trips.

Click on ‘Show Days’ and type in the number of history days to be displayed.

Click on ‘Retain Days’ and type in the number of history days to be stored on the device.

Click on an entry, and you will get all the relevant data displayed.

Coming soon: trips per ‘Driver Shift’.

Yes.

In ‘LOCAL Mode’, you can either click on the app icon in the main view and select any picture on your device.

In ‘LOGIN Mode’, add an URL link to your logo in the tariff under ‘Advanced Options’.

You can’t change the receipt layout.

But some data elements will be displayed according to your setup:

– Company Logo

– Company Name

– Driver Name

– Driver Email

– Driver Licence

– Company Telephone Number

– Car Number

– Tariff Information

Please contact us!

We currently support rooflights from Proguard on iOS.

In principle, any Bluetooth Thermal printer should work.
We have tested on www.sprt-printer.com and www.zjiang.com printers on Android.
From user feedback, we know that GOOJPRT works fine as well.

No, but we will answer all emails as quickly s possible.

Our app is recording logfiles with all actions done by the user and it documents its internal processes. You can send us these logfiles through the ‘Contact’ menu option.

The app keeps logfiles from the last 5 days.

The preferred operating model is that you will provide a first level support for your drivers locally.
2nd and 3rd level support will then be done by us.
But anyway, in a ‘White Label’ mode, we will discuss and agree about the details of the support model.

You may send us a link to a website with your tariff, or a picture taken from a display in a cab, and we will setup the tariff for you.
We will charge a small fee for the setup work.

We offer support by email on a best effort basis.
Usually we answer emails within 24 hours and during Western Europe business hours.