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It’s not really surprising that taxis are considered the safest third-party mode of ground transport for business travellers. Unlike when employees use rental cars to get around foreign places during business trips, local taxi drivers know the roads, the traffic laws and the driving norms in their country.
So when FREENOW and the Global Business Traveller Association (GBTA) surveyed travel managers in Spain, Ireland, Germany and the UK, we weren’t shocked to learn that 52% of travel managers think taxis are safest, compared to rental cars (43%) and public transit (26%).
There’s no denying the fact that last-mile ground transportation is statistically the least safe part of business trips. But the good news is, there are two highly effective ways you can manage ground transportation risk for your employees: by using taxis as a safe mode of transportation and working with corporate taxi booking solutions that have a track record of safety precautions in place.
But what sort of factors do you need to think about when choosing safe ground transport vendors for your business travellers? And what can you do as a business to establish strong relationships with vendors that will enhance both safety and efficiency of your ground transportation strategy?
When choosing a last-mile travel vendor for your business travellers, here are some safe taxi requirements to look out for:
Some countries and taxi companies require more frequent—or more thorough– vehicle safety inspections than others. Most will also have regulations about what kinds of vehicles their drivers can use.
Virtually all travel managers in the survey (93%) said vehicle inspections were an important safety feature when choosing a ground transport vendor. Two-thirds (64%) of those we surveyed also said that only using certain types of vehicles (e.g., newer makes or models) is an important safety feature for ground transport.
Choosing a taxi app that stipulates a safe standard vehicle for all drivers and regular vehicle safety checks will reduce corporate travel risk for your employees substantially.
An overwhelming majority of travel managers (91%) we surveyed said drivers with professional licenses/qualifications are an important feature when choosing a safe taxi app.
This might sounds like we’re stating the obvious here, but not all countries require taxi drivers to have a professional license or qualification to drive. In countries that do, licenses can be denied or revoked if they have a poor driving record, or criminal history.
Working with a taxi app that requires all drivers to have a professional taxi license, and that requires regular documentation compliance reviews is a way to practice a proactive safety management approach.
Working with well-known taxi apps that have a demonstrated safety record is an effective way to mitigate risk in your travel management plan. 93% of travel managers we surveyed also said that working with brands that have a positive safety track record was an important safety feature for them.
7 in 10 said safety records were the most important factor when choosing a transportation vendor - more important than cost-effectiveness, service quality and environmental sustainability.
Partnering with an established taxi app that can provide evidence of good safety track record will be a positive move for safety and efficiency too.
When you work with a trusted vendor that comes with a safe taxi app, detailed information about the driver should be recorded. For example, you should easily be able to access the driver’s name, vehicle type, and the route and duration of a trip at any time.
This data can be used to locate employees in an emergency, respond to an incident, or analyze the company’s travel patterns to identify safety concerns.
Three-quarters of travel managers (76%) in the survey said receiving real-time data/reporting is an important feature they look for in a safe taxi app.
So now we know the criteria to look for in a safe taxi app, how do you go about establishing a preferred relationship with a taxi vendor to enhance safety and efficiency?
Once you’ve chosen your preferred safe taxi app, reach out to arrange a formal relationship or business account with that transport vendor.
You can then mandate or strongly encourage staff to use your chosen taxi app in your corporate travel policy. Working with a business travel software that integrates with your taxi app also comes with extra benefits: As a travel manager, you’ll receive reporting and dedicated account support, and be able to streamline processes such as payment and expense reporting too.
Find out more about how a partnership with FREENOW will allow your business travellers to easily book fast, reliable and safe taxis.
