PARENTS can track their teenage children's taxi journeys using a new mobile phone app. Hull taxi firm Six O Cars has launched the new app, which allows passengers to request a family member or friend to track them from the beginning of their journey until they reach their destination.
Firm owner David Smith hopes it will reassure parents and passengers they are in safe hands when they book one of his cars.
He said: "This has been launched to recognise the trust people put in our taxi drivers.
"We already have a strict vetting procedure for them anyway, but we very much want to place the taxi ride in the customer's hands, from the beginning to when they get out of the car, and give them as much control as possible.
"This app could be very useful for parents if they have teenagers out there or children coming home from school in Hull."
The firm in Walton Street, west Hull, is believed to be the only taxi firm in the city to use the app, which has been developed by their software company Cordic.
The only other city in the UK to be hooked up to the app is London.
Passengers with iPhone or Android mobile phones can request a contact stored in their phone tracks their journey.
That contact will receive a text saying: "I am safe in Six O Taxi, feel free to track me via this link".
Six O Cars do many school runs, including pick-ups from Newland School for Girls, Cottingham High School and Wyke Sixth Form College.
Mr Smith hopes it will also be used by young women and older people as well.
He said: "Once the passenger has been picked up by the taxi, there is a little button that says 'track me'.
"If they press it, their contact list on the phone will appear. They can then select one of those contacts, and it sends them a text, which they can click on.
"This is just an extra service for our customers. We understand safety in taxis is really important so this enhances that. We want people to feel safe in our taxis.
"We hope this will be reassuring for people who want to make sure their partner is safe."
The tracking is a new feature of an existing app, which is called Six O Cars, and is available now in the app store on iPhone and Android mobiles.
Those who already have it, must upgrade it, while new customers will get the tracking feature automatically.
It also tracks the taxi while it makes its way to a customer.
Passengers can book a cab without entering an address and can also see how many Six O cars are nearby.
Mr Smith said technology is playing an increasingly important role in his business.
He said: "This is a really new way of booking a taxi and we have already got lots of people using the app. This upgrade keeps us leading the way.
"It never refuses a job if someone books using the app.
"Most things in all industries are being transferred on to mobile devices and taxis are no different.
"We find 40 per cent of our bookings come in through the app or via people using the automated telephone system.
"Only 60 per cent actually speak to an operator now, so we have to keep moving with the times."
