Compare prices of minicabs and black cabs with app to rival Uber

 
Taxi booking app: Bounce allows users to book both minicabs and black cabs
Alexandra Rucki3 March 2015

A taxi booking app has become the first in the UK which allows users to compare the cost of black cabs with minicabs.

Bounce, dubbed the ‘Tinder for taxis’ by its creators, enables users to fix the cost of their trip in advance.

Customers can swipe through available vehicles in their area and set the rate, even when booking a black cab which usually charges via a meter.

Bounce creators claim this is possible thanks to a loophole, allowing cabbies to charge less than the amount displayed on the meter - giving black cabs the chance to compete with their minicab rivals.

Black cabs are available to book on rival apps such as Uber, but drivers cannot vary their set price. The app allows drivers to see what other vehicles are charging and adapt their rate.

Journeys are cash free regardless of the vehicle selected and all drivers are Transport for London licensed.

Nicko Williamson, chief executive for the app company, said: “We love black cabs, and think they’re an iconic part of London’s history and identity.

“However, at the moment many people think of them as the expensive option, even though in a lot of cases they work out at the same price or even cheaper than a minicab. Bounce is here to give Londoners the ability to make an informed and transparent decision, and put every driver on an equal footing.”

Last year black cab drivers staged a protest in Trafalgar Square against Uber.

Cabbies claim the meter system on the app breaks TfL's regulations which state only taxi cabs can use a meter.