Wheelchair Taxis

clusk007

Hi guys,

Recently (launched last Friday) began a website to make it easier to source a wheelchair taxi. I'm in a wheelchair myself and have always found it extremely difficult to source one last-minute. Hoping the website will go some way to making things easier. It's not a business per se but I will need to cover my costs down the road.

I would love to get some feedback from you guys about the site. Please keep in mind that it's at a very early stage and in trial phase for the Wicklow area only for the next two weeks but feedback even now would be great. I do want to keep the site as simple and straight forward as possible. I have information on the way which will be put up on the site about how to properly restrain a wheelchair in a taxi for the drivers because they receive no formal training (video and PDF documents etc).
www.wheelchairtaxi.ie

regards,

Stephen

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

Hi Stephen,

I love the idea and think it's got huge potential. Might you be thinking a little small on this one though?

I'd suggest making it into an APP rather than a website, so make the service available where ever someone is an not just before someone is heading out. Then also why limit yourself to the Irish market? UK and US markets would absolutely love this. You could eventually charge 99c for the app on itunes, contact every taxi company and ask them could you list their service for free if they have a wheelchair accessible services. Or go the other way, have the app free and charge a monthly fee for premium listings so they are the first to pop up.

The beauty of the app is its a one click to call them, where as the computer you could skype them, but really you'd be typing it into the phone.

I think you've hit gold here, solving a problem a lot of my customers complain about and having a clear aspect to monetorising it. (TheMobilityShop customers that is, incase you though i was talking about just costumes ).

seanybiker

Best of luck with the site man. As a biker I know a few people in wheelchairs. My mother used to also work for the brothers of charity and the amount of times she couldnt find a taxi for johnny (rip) was mad.
I honestly hope this takes off.

Alan Shore

Well Done, thats a great idea.

You could ask the taxi companies for a small contribution to cover your costs.

I presume you have contacted the irish wheelchair assoc. they might have a database of taxi firms. App is a great idea but can be costly at the moment in comparision with a website.

Keep up the good work

clusk007

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan wrote: »

Hi Stephen,

I love the idea and think it's got huge potential. Might you be thinking a little small on this one though?

I'd suggest making it into an APP rather than a website, so make the service available where ever someone is an not just before someone is heading out. Then also why limit yourself to the Irish market? UK and US markets would absolutely love this. You could eventually charge 99c for the app on itunes, contact every taxi company and ask them could you list their service for free if they have a wheelchair accessible services. Or go the other way, have the app free and charge a monthly fee for premium listings so they are the first to pop up.

The beauty of the app is its a one click to call them, where as the computer you could skype them, but really you'd be typing it into the phone.

I think you've hit gold here, solving a problem a lot of my customers complain about and having a clear aspect to monetorising it. (TheMobilityShop customers that is, incase you though i was talking about just costumes ).

hi Ronan,
I was thinking along very similar lines but have to start somewhere. the app is something that's essential and will definitely be developed. Luckily I have a friend whose brother develops them so going to utilise this but it will be a couple of months down the road after the site has been developed fully.

one of my goals is to expand worldwide as the idea can be replicated in any country and should be. I've travelled to both America and Portugal and this problem is even worse there so definitely lots of potential.
great to get your feedback and your positivity.

Stephen

clusk007

Alan Shore wrote: »

Well Done, thats a great idea.

You could ask the taxi companies for a small contribution to cover your costs.

I presume you have contacted the irish wheelchair assoc. they might have a database of taxi firms. App is a great idea but can be costly at the moment in comparision with a website.

Keep up the good work

hi Alan,

Yes I have been in contact with the IWA and spinal injuries Ireland. Both of them very helpful and will give me some article space in their next News letter. it's essential that the taxi drivers sign up for the site to work and there is no way I would charge the users. it in its very early stages but moving along nicely. Thanks again for the feedback

Stephen

Mental Mickey

clusk007 wrote: »

hi Alan,

Yes I have been in contact with the IWA and spinal injuries Ireland. Both of them very helpful and will give me some article space in their next News letter. it's essential that the taxi drivers sign up for the site to work and there is no way I would charge the users. it in its very early stages but moving along nicely. Thanks again for the feedback

Stephen

Once you start to publicise it, it should really take off......

Axwell

Hi Stephen,

Website review thread available here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1382

Best of luck with it

yutta

You've a fair bit of competition:

www.prestocab.com
www.winicabs.com
www.nrc.ie
www.pickacab.com
www.icabbi.ie
etc.

clusk007

yutta wrote: »

You've a fair bit of competition:

www.prestocab.com
www.winicabs.com
www.nrc.ie
www.pickacab.com
www.icabbi.ie
etc.

I think you're missing the point here. I understand there are many taxi companies but my website deals specifically with wheelchair taxis, a very niche market. I used nrc before at about 3 AM and they weren't able to get me a wheelchair taxi. Most of the drivers are more than accommodating so if I had direct contact numbers without having to go through a company I'm sure I would have gotten a driver. tried all the local companies that night and eventually at 6 AM I had to ring my parents to come to collect me! if only I had wheelchairtaxi.ie that night :-)

Mental Mickey

clusk007 wrote: »

I think you're missing the point here. I understand there are many taxi companies but my website deals specifically with wheelchair taxis, a very niche market. I used nrc before at about 3 AM and they weren't able to get me a wheelchair taxi. Most of the drivers are more than accommodating so if I had direct contact numbers without having to go through a company I'm sure I would have gotten a driver. tried all the local companies that night and eventually at 6 AM I had to ring my parents to come to collect me! if only I had wheelchairtaxi.ie that night :-)

Which is the whole point of the site.

clusk007

http://www.wicklowpeople.ie/local-notes/stephen-launches-new-taxi-website-2905704.html

Seve OB

I wish you luck, there aren't that many wheelchair taxis out there in the first place, so that is the ultimate problem. You need to raise this with the taxi regulator, at a guess i would say that probably less than 5% of taxis are wheelchair accessable and you would have no more than half of taxis out at any one time. On top of this, I know for a fact that some drivers have the wheelchair licence pure and simply cause it was a cheaper plate to get and they won't even do the work.