Introduction
The transportation industry has been constantly evolving with technology. However, the improvements in transportation only belong to the technical aspect of it but never on the operational side. For example, we might have more efficient cars getting onto the road but the concept of randomly waving at a taxi to stop it, haggling over prices, getting lost in unknown places, and having an unsatisfactory and frustrating experience.
It completely changed in 2009 with the introduction of the ride-hailing app called Uber. It is powered with the GPS navigation system, facilitating the users to book a taxi, provided the app they install in the smartphone has a stable internet connection. For that, they have to specify the pickup and drop locations. With the destination details, it could even give you a price estimate of how much they would be charged for the ride.
What Uber has started could be considered as a small spike that ignited in all directions within the realm of transportation. Today, we have different on-demand businesses that use the same business model as Uber.
The COVID-19 Setback and The Opportunities
The COVID-19 pandemic was a major setback to multiple businesses, and the on-demand taxi was not an exception. Since offices closed down, and tourism came to a standstill, the need for transportation on-demand was reduced to almost 0.
As always, a comeback is stronger than a setback! The transportation on-demand segment is all set for a profitable resurgence when the pandemic gets over. With more people pressuring to use a private mode of transport, it would not be uncommon to see even people who would use public transport, opting for a taxi. This would reduce the possibilities of exposure for them.
The taxi industry is also coping with the new normal. Introduction of plexiglass partitions between the driver and the passenger, using artificial intelligence to ensure that the driver and the passenger have their masks on, and regular sanitization checks are put in place to ensure that taxi remains a safe mode of transport.
The Different Avenues to Explore
Even with the transportation space, there are different avenues to explore. While Uber was the starting point, there are different possibilities that it has opened up. Let us look at a few of them that could be considered the most profitable niches in the new normal.
– Carpooling
Starting our list with carpooling might seem like an antithesis! You might not want to get into a closed space with strangers. However, it is better to get into a vehicle with a couple of strangers than a bunch of them. By introducing certain security features like the establishment of vaccinations, carpooling can be made into a dependable mode of transport, especially between cities.
It will take some time before people get used to the idea of carpooling again. However, once it picks up, there is no looking back for this particular segment.
– Healthcare Taxi
Healthcare has recent prominence ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have started to focus additionally on passive aspects of health like immunity. There are instances when people might need taxi services exclusively for their healthcare needs. Such cabs should be specially equipped with some first-aid and maybe even oxygen cylinders. They would, in essence, so as makeshift ambulances for people who are not that critical when it comes to their medical needs.
It is quite possible that hospitals can even have their own network of healthcare taxi services, so they can dispatch it to people who request transportation. There could also be a possibility where some drivers are designated as healthcare taxi drivers if they have their car equipped with the essential elements and that they have maintained the expected sanitation standards.
– On-demand Chauffeur
There might be instances where a person has a car but they will only need a driver. This particular scenario is not just limited to people having a drink at a restaurant and wanting to return home. In such instances, a chauffeur on-demand service can be used. Here again, the identity and the authenticity of the diversity needs to be established by the app itself. Ensuring that the driver is vaccinated would also help in enhancing the trust that people have in your business.
– Office Shuttles
Offices have slowly started to re-open after probably a year and a half. However, the hangover of the pandemic is not completely over. Offices, in an attempt to ensure that the employees stay safe and healthy, can opt to have their own fleet of shuttle services.
A lot of offices have already started using such services. While such usage was limited to a few big organizations before the pandemic, it will not be a surprise to see even small offices adopt the same strategy in the new normal.
– Car Rental
Let us come to terms with the fact that an average millennial does not love the idea of the responsibilities that come with ownership. This is one of the reasons rentals are on a steady increase. Not just with regards to real estate but even with cars. If someone wants to go on a long drive, they can rent a car and use it for their transportation. This is surely better than using public transport.
A car rental service, especially during tourist season and at times when people are known to take a break from their professional/academic engagements would be a great business idea as a startup, adapting to the new normal.
– Limousine On-Demand
Limousines have always been associated with luxury! These days, when people just want to have a slice of luxury even if it does not mean that everyday lifestyle, they are ready to pay a good price for it. This is why a limousine on-demand would be a great business idea. It can be charged at a premium because of the uniqueness and rarity of the experience, and people would still be ready to pay for it. It is to be noted that a limousine on-demand is not a game of numbers but about charging a premium even if the demand is Scotty.
– General Deliveries
The pandemic has also increased the need for general delivery services. More people have started to order food from restaurants instead of visiting the restaurant premises for dining. There has also been an increase in the number of people who order groceries from stores. Silently yet significantly, there has also been a considerable growth in the number of home businesses that need logistics support.
Even if the demand for transportation has taken a slump, such delivery services can give the much-needed buffer for the drivers to earn their income during such times.
– Trucking and Logistics
The increase in the demand for logistics is not just confined to small engagements like food and grocery delivery, but also on a large business scale. You can commit, therefore, to start a company that provides logistic services for industries that include trucking, warehousing, and even overseas shipping. This comes in at a time when the international dependency on goods has seen a significant increase.
– Bus Booking
In all of this, buses are bound to remain one of the most preferred modes of transportation for people, belonging to the lower strata of the society. Providing transportation options between cities could be a good business idea, and the success of the Greyhound services is a resounding testimony to how profitable this business can be.
Ensuring better safety standards is the biggest marketing flex that the on-demand bus booking app can showcase right now.
– Bike Sharing
You will find that the entire list is sandwiched between two of the most confusing and controversial options. Bikes might not be as comfortable as cars are. However, the fact that both the rider and the passenger will be wearing a helmet, and that though the entire space is not closed like how it is in cars, makes bike-sharing a good option. It is to be noted that the bike-sharing on-demand is not the usual bike taxi but more like an equivalent of carpooling for small distances.
The White Label Wand
There may be so many different options but in all of this, it cannot be denied that the skeleton remains the same. All that is needed to build any of the apps above is the same as what would be required to build an app like Uber. To ensure that your development processes are fast, efficient, and accurate, you can make use of a white label Uber clone app. It is quite easy to customize it in line with what you would need. Since it is already built as a product, you can be assured that there are no glitches that will interfere with the expected basic functionality.
Conclusion
All that is left for you to do is to get in touch with a company that specializes in the development of customization of white-label Uber clone apps. They will take it to understand your requirements and present you with perfect solutions that will launch you into any of the above state domains of transportation, starting to turn your wheels in the positive direction of profit!
