myTaxi, the app that makes calling a cab in the District almost as easy as pushing a button, expanded their service to Arlington today. The company says that its February 7 soft launch in Arlington went so well, they are happy to be able to offer regular service to the D.C. suburb.
"It's been so positive," explains Yonis Benitez, U.S. general manager for myTaxi. "People work in D.C. but live in Arlington. This is the right county for our technology and a natural fit for us."
myTaxi competes with both
Uber and
Taxi Magic, which both already service Arlington. A London-based company,
Hailo, has plans to launch in the D.C. area this year.
The myTaxi app, available for both iPhone and Android, is free and allows users to hail a regular, licensed cab (not a sedan or private vehicle) with the push of a button. "You only pay what is on the meter," Benitez says. "There are no extra fees."
For convenience, customers who use myTaxi can link a credit or debit card or their PayPal account to their myTaxi account. Doing so gives them a choice when it comes to paying for their ride: either make a mobile-to-mobile payment via the app, or pay by cash.
"The app provides an adaptable service," Benitez says. Users can even book a cab up to four days in advance for a guaranteed ride. Additionally, riders can rate their driver and their car, giving feedback to the company and allowing riders to "request" their favorite drivers.
myTaxi also recently announced a partnership with
car2go, the point-to-point car-sharing program. (Daimler, the parent company of car2go, has a 15% ownership of myTaxi.) If no cars are available for customers of car2go, they can launch myTaxi from within the car2go app and order a taxi. "We want to put D.C. at people's fingertips," says Benitez.
myTaxi was founded in 2009 in Germany and spread across Europe. Its expansion to D.C. in October 2012 marked the first time the service moved across the Atlantic. myTaxi has plans to go nationwide, although Benitez would not disclose details. He did however point to myTaxi's relationship with car2go and said, "We're going to tap into those synergies."