Australian Transport Science and Technology
Australia’s traffic situation science, take Melbourne as an example:
Public Transport
Unlike the United States, Australia’s public transport is very convenient and well-connected; a Myki card can take the tram (Tram), buses and trains, and the cost in 2017 is capped at 8.2AUD per day.
Public transport is the most recommended way to get around, it’s green and saves money. What’s even happier is that Melbourne has a free tram ride zone in the city (trains and buses don’t have a free zone), making it easy to move around.
Taxi
In Melbourne, it is usually elementary to get a cab; even if there is no car on the side of the road, there is typically a taxi waiting in front of a nearby hotel. Taxis can also be called via mobile apps and phone calls.
Although the mobile app for taxis is not as good as Uber’s app, one of the advantages of taxis is that if there are many people, you can call a Maxi (van), and the average price per person will be more cost-effective. It is recommended to write down the address clearly on a piece of paper for the driver before you take a taxi, as many drivers in Australia do not know the way and rely on GPS, so they can only find it if the address is precise.
How to Take a Taxi in Australia
The so-called fixed-point taxi can be divided into two situations:
- In the airport, near the central railway station and an exceptional location, the casino, there is a taxi waiting area where you can get a cab directly;
- Call to book a taxi: Australians are used to booking a cab, especially in downtown areas and early morning and night; pre-selected is the easiest and fastest way. The cab has a network, and when you book, the dispatch centre will arrange a nearby car according to the pickup address.
Call the taxi company’s reservation phone, report your name, origin and destination, and then wait for the taxi company to send a car to pick you up, in this case, the so-called “fixed point on the car”, that is, after you make an appointment, you must be in the same place or the appointment of the departure place to wait. However, waiting for 5-10 minutes is also the norm, but do not leave the appointment of the departure place! Although it is expected to wait 5-10 minutes, you should never leave the place where you made the appointment. It is widespread for taxi drivers in Australia to leave the place where they arrived without seeing anyone.
The leading taxi companies in Australia are:
- 13 CABS (booking number: 13 22 27 – can only be called from within Australia)
- Silver Top Taxis (booking number: 13 10 08 – only available from within Australia).
However, since taxis can have many inconveniences, such as needing to be booked in advance and being more expensive, many people also choose to use online taxi platforms such as Uber.
Uber
Official website address: https://www.uber.com/au/en/
Uber is Australia’s most complete ridesharing service platform and the most extensive online taxi platform. Uber entered the online taxi service in Australia earlier than Ola and Bolt, so its popularity is the highest among these platforms. The main difference is the coverage in different cities and the number of drivers. The one with the most coverage of Australian cities and the number of drivers is Uber, the industry leader, allowing passengers to get a ride almost anywhere in the city.
Uber is divided into three tiers according to the luxury of the model, UberX, UberEXEC and UberLUX, with increasing costs, and there is also an UberXL model for larger groups. The most commonly used is UberX, with an additional UberXL model for groups with large numbers of people or luggage. The cheapest UberPool, also known as “carpooling”, is a good experience, but it can take a long time, and the pick-up and drop-off locations may not be exactly what you asked for.
Pros:
- Once booked, the rides generally arrive rapidly. Response times are short and on time, and drivers usually arrive within 5 minutes. Uber is the most reliable option if you need a car urgently.
- The cars are all in good condition, and the drivers are courteous.
- The Uber carpooling feature is now available at a much-reduced price.
- The Uber App is comprehensive and has features that no other app has, such as the ability to synchronise with expense management software like Coucur.
- Uber London has also launched a car reservation function; users can book a car 30 days in advance, and it can also be cancelled at any time during the period.
- Uber Australia has introduced new technology to track passenger and driver movements 24/7, which is very important, especially for girls. Passengers can share the estimated arrival time with friends and family to ensure the driver follows the online route.
- One app can do car, food, two-wheeler, and ticket bookings.
- Multiple payment options: Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, and Uber Gift Cards
Disadvantages:
- When using Uber, you need to pay attention to the Surge price during peak hours; sometimes, if the Surge is expensive, you might as well take a taxi in the city.
- You may encounter unreliable drivers.
Ola
Official website: https://ola.com.au/
Ola (Ola Cabs) is Australia’s most popular online taxi platform. The Indian-founded ride-hailing company, dubbed “India’s version of Drip,” officially launched in Australia at the beginning of FY18. It is Uber’s old rival in the Indian market, and the two sides have opened a second battlefield in Australia before they can win the battle in India. Ola first launched its taxi service in Sydney, then quickly expanded to Perth and Melbourne and entered Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Canberra. Ola’s intensive development rhythm has given Uber a headache, too.
On Ola’s official website, there are three modes for people to choose from – CityTaxi, Outstation and Rentals. There are 11 models to choose from across the three modes, and Ola also has a shared bike, the Ola Pedal, available in some areas. In the mid-range and high-end models, free WIFI and Ola Play audio-visual entertainment are available inside the car.
Ola offers three models in Australia: a sedan (up to four people) and an SUV (up to six people). A luxury model, the Ola Premium, is available only in Sydney and not made by ordinary drivers. They are all screened by the company to be top-notch and excellent drivers, and the price is also a little more expensive than the regular model. The price is also a little more expensive than the regular model.
Pros:
Ola has introduced Ola Share, which allows users to custom-match passengers from their social circle and make friends while carpooling, as opposed to the randomly selected carpool passenger model with UberPool.
Safety: When a passenger uses Ola to take a taxi, Ola will send a verification code to the passenger, and when the driver receives the passenger, he needs to confirm the verification code with the passenger and enter it into the driver’s app before starting the journey. And the SOS in the app alerts the safety response team. The emergency contact feature allows passengers to share ride details, including licence plate numbers, with up to five relatives. Share your travel plans with family and friends so they can track your vehicle.
Arranging a ride: Select ‘Ride Later’ to book a taxi/cab in advance from anywhere. Check various features of fares and ride categories before booking.
Multiple Payment Options: Pay for your travelling expenses in cash or multiple cashless options like Ola Currency, UPI, Debit Cards, Credit Cards, Jio Currency and more.
Enjoy more savings on your daily commute with Cab Pass, Auto Pass and Share Pass; become an Ola Select member and enjoy exclusive offers like Prime Sedan on Mini fares.
Ola Play: Enjoy free in-cab entertainment in Prime Play, Prime SUV, Lux, Outstation and other selected rides. Play songs, videos, movies, TV shows and more anytime, anywhere!
Cons:
- Ola is slightly different from Drip and Uber regarding displaying prices; Uber and Drip will give an exact price before booking. At the same time, Ola will provide a range of prices, such as $11 – $13.
- Ola still has a manually adjusted fixed price increase and will have 10-20% varying price increases within the city limits when demand is high.
- May encounter unreliable drivers.
Bolt (formerly Taxify)
Official website link: https://bolt.eu/en/
Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, is a ride-sharing platform from Estonia. Bolt is a European taxi software with good coverage in Eastern Europe. Founded in 2013, it currently has 25 million users and 500,000 drivers in 35 countries in Europe and Africa. The previous name Taxify, which was changed to Bolt by including the English name for taxis, Taxi, is intended to show that one’s company’s business is not limited to taxis but will also provide customers with a more diverse range of transport options.
The company, founded by two brothers, has a touch of idealism compared to other taxi companies: they are committed to increasing the income of their drivers while reducing the cost of travelling for passengers. Of course, this can also be interpreted as their competitive strategy. Compared to Uber, which charges drivers a commission of 22.5 to 30 per cent, Taxify only charges 15 per cent, which has naturally won them a large following in the Australian market.
Taxify has entered Sydney, Australia, since the end of 2017 or around December; when it first entered Australia, it felt that the momentum was quite strong, and it was once called the “uber killer”, and it constantly offered discounts and promotions, gave passengers discounts, and gave drivers incentives. But the good times didn’t last long; Taxify was on fire for about 3-4 months, and then, about March 2018, Indian company Ola entered the Australian car-sharing market; Bolt had another strong competitor. Bolt’s main battleground is in Europe, so competing and winning is hard unless they have a big investment in the Australian market.
Pros:
- The overall rating is still excellent from the app store reviews.
- The best feature is that it’s cheap and heavily discounted upfront (around 20% off Uber). When it was first introduced, customers did not have to pay a cancellation fee if they cancelled their order. Although cancellation is no longer accessible, the price is still better than Uber.
- The fares are on the low side and don’t spike excessively due to ride demand.
- The discounts you get for referring friends are great.
- You can check the price of your ride before ordering.
- Payment can be made within the app (credit/debit card/Apple Pay).
- Bolt has also launched a service called Bolt Food, which has had a mediocre response.
Disadvantages:
- There is a premium during morning and evening rush hours (8h-10h; 18h-20h). Bolt has the best prices, but you must beware of driver detours.
- Positioning isn’t very accurate.
- Few vehicles and long waiting times
- Poor driver tracking
Didi
Official website link: https://australia.didiglobal.com/
China’s Didi is undoubtedly no stranger to you. It is a one-stop travel platform covering taxis, unique cars, drop express, hitchhiking, chauffeur-driven buses, freight transport and other businesses. On 09 September 2015, it changed its name from “DDT taxi”. In May 2018, DDT entered Australia and New Zealand and launched safe and fast ride services in 28 cities, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. Taxi services include Express- fast and affordable rides for up to 2 people that are simple and affordable; Max- spacious and affordable rides for groups of up to 6 people or extra luggage; and Rideshare: carpooling- match up with another traveller in the same direction and split the cost. It is up to 40% cheaper than drop shipping. Delivery Express: affordable on-demand citywide delivery, 24/7 on-demand, with low delivery fares starting at $6.30.
Pros:
Everyday low prices: Delivery Express offers an affordable experience, with service rates lower than competing carpooling and taxi services.
Fast and reliable: More than 130,000 drivers are at your fingertips in Australia and New Zealand, which means you can find a ride fast. Connect with a driver in seconds through the DiDi app and find a car in minutes!
Safety First: Dedicated to helping make every trip with DiDi as safe as possible. All drivers undergo extensive background checks, facial verification, vehicle inspections, continuous monitoring and more. It offers world-leading in-app safety features such as travel check-in, phone number and home address anonymisation, sharing your trip with trusted contacts, and more.
Award-winning online carpooling platform: in Canstar Blue’s 2020 review, Australians rated Drip as the best carpooling service.
Driver-friendly: Drivers get to keep more of their fares than rival ride-hailing services, meaning that by using Drip, you can also support the livelihoods of local drivers. This is a win-win for both you and your driver.
Drip drivers are generally a bit more Chinese.
Disadvantages:
The high rate of relatively novice drivers is probably the reason for the latest rollout; many sub-drivers don’t know the roads well, and there is an increase in detours and violations.
Promoted marketing campaigns are becoming more frequent, and there are more and more cases of no response to user complaints.
Shebah
Official website link: https://www.shebah.com.au/
Shebah is the only app in Australia, and perhaps in the world, that specialises in children and women. Shebah was founded in Melbourne by an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) presenter who was once harassed by an online taxi driver but was lucky it didn’t become a bigger disaster. The experience still haunts Georgina McEncroe. She hopes that she can do her part to protect women and never let an experience like hers happen again.
As founder Georgina McEncroe puts it, Shebah was founded “purely for safety”. This philosophy has made Shebah increasingly sought after by women since its creation in 2017. With a rating of 4.9 on Facebook, it’s getting rave reviews. Shebah has been popular among Australian women since its launch and has been sold throughout Australia, from Melbourne to Sydney and then to Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, Gold Coast, etc. Shebah is also popular among Australian women.
Pros:
What makes Shebah unique is that the platform only employs female drivers. Passengers are only available to all primary school children as well as females, meaning you don’t have to be scared of sitting in the front passenger seat on a late-night hitchhike, and there’s a safe pair of hands to help escort the kids when you can’t pick them up and drop them off.
Boy passengers are only allowed up to the age of 18 and need to be accompanied by a female guardian.
The interface is spotless and airy, with a simple green colour as the base, giving it a very comfortable look and feel.
Users can book a vehicle in advance at any time. With a booking fee of AU$2, the service can be booked as early as one month in advance.
Prices are also the same as regular internet taxis and are not as expensive as they are unique.
Shebah gives 85 per cent of the platform’s passenger fares as a commission to the drivers, which adds extra income for many women in Australia who don’t have the financial means to do so. Shebah has also pledged to donate 1% of its revenue to three charities. A portion of this goes towards rescuing women who are homeless.
Drawbacks:
Shebah’s billing method is a start fee + hourly rate + distance fee, with the start fee divided into three tiers based on whether or not it’s rush hour. Statistically, Shebah’s billing method is roughly the same as Uber’s, but the total price is slightly more expensive. Undoubtedly, passengers are paying a premium for safety.
FAQ
Melbourne’s Popular Online Rental Car Platform App is a user-friendly digital platform that allows users to rent cars in and around Melbourne. The app provides seamless car rental services, offering various vehicles to suit every need.
Our app offers a diverse fleet of vehicles to cater to different needs. We have everything from compact cars for city driving and SUVs for family trips to luxury models for special occasions.
You can easily extend your rental period through the app. Just ensure you request an extension before your current rental period ends to avoid any inconvenience.
Yes, you can cancel your booking through the app. Please refer to our cancellation policy for any charges that may apply.
We request that you return the car with the same fuel as when you picked it up. If that’s not possible, additional charges may apply.
