App bookings and contactless payments doubled during last 5 months says Glasgow Taxis
Updated: Aug 27, 2020
Glasgow Taxi customers have changed their habits amidst five months of lockdown, with the volume of bookings via app and payments via contactless card both doubling during the period.
Glasgow Taxis Ltd, the biggest taxi firm in Scotland, today revealed the rise in use from passengers adopting new habits as they seek every reassurance while the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat.
Bookings via the Glasgow Taxis app peaked at an all-time high over the summer while customers swapping cash for contactless card have also doubled in number between March and August.
The trends support Glasgow Taxis’ overall “Separated, Sanitised, Safe” campaign which has swept through its fleet with special ozone cleaning technology, completely sanitising the interior of black cabs in just 15 minutes.
Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chairman, said: “All of this would have been unthinkable at the start of the year however this is the new normal for everyone. We’re pleased that Glasgow Taxis was already in a good place to provide that extra reassurance to customers thanks to the availability of contactless payment in all cabs, which gives passengers one less thing to worry about.
“Add to that our partitions in all taxis, our ozone generator and range of taxi specific cleaning products, and we are doing everything we can to serve our customers specific to their needs in these circumstances. It’s also pleasing to see so many of them taking advantage of the app as their preferred method of booking – many of them doing so to access the guaranteed fixed price within the Glasgow area.”
As part of the new campaign, Glasgow Taxis purchased a Supagard “ozone generator” vehicle cleaning unit which completely sanitises the interior of a vehicle in just 15 minutes and is available for free use to all GTL taxis.
In addition, campaign partner Supagard created and certified a new “protection pack”, a range of taxi specific cleaning products with increased strength, to help provide a safe, clean and fragrant environment for all customers.
The new Glasgow Taxis vehicle sanitisation unit started cleaning taxis in May while all taxis have been provided with signage to promote the campaign and ‘Separated, Sanitised, Safe’ messaging.
The 15-minute process sees the device placed in the rear of the cab and begin its cycle of converting oxygen into ozone and back to oxygen. The result is a completely germ-free environment.
Branded products including surface sanitiser, trigger bottle, air freshener and 70% alcohol hand sanitising gel which supplement the generator are available to drivers for discounted purchase as a pack.
