JULY 11, 2019

New Airport Taxi app will allow travelers to pay with a credit card and obtain information about their driver and vehicle

The Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry is supporting a series of pilot projects in the Tarapacá, Coquimbo, Metropolitan, Araucanía and Magallanes Regions that will allow taxi organizations to be part of the technological changes that are shaping passenger mobility.

Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Gloria Hutt used her cell phone to request a taxi at the airport, presenting a new application that will allow travelers to pay in cash or with a credit card and to access approximate trip prices and information about their driver and vehicle. She appeared with representatives of the airport taxi drivers’ trade association, the Asociación Gremial Taxis Frecuentes de Aeropuerto.

The Airport Taxi tool, which has already been piloted for two months, uses a GPS to allow vehicles to pick up passengers at exit 3, which is located on the first floor of the airport building at Santiago Airport.

“Technologies are changing the way we move around, and we are supporting innovations that improve the quality of service provided by taxis. This app allows travelers and tourists to move between Santiago Airport and the city using a reliable, organized service with reference prices and information about the driver and the vehicle,” Minister Hutt stated.

She also welcomed the efforts that taxi associations are making to use technological pilot projects to improve the standard of service, as well as the ways they are changing their industry to make it more sustainable.

“Taking advantage of new technologies provides benefits for both drivers and users. It allows us to provide a service that ensures that the vehicles meet all current legal standards. The app issues an alert when a document is about to expire and prohibits the driver from using the system until the paperwork is renewed. This also facilitates ministry oversight. Both Chilean and international passengers will be able to clearly identify their driver and the vehicle using the license plate and also they can access reference fares and check them against the virtual taxi meter and mobile taxi meter, thus avoiding any sort of fraud,” stated Cesar Vargas, who represents the airport taxi drivers’ trade association.

The technological innovation continuously monitors the route, allowing passengers to follow it in real time, ensure that the vehicle does not go off course and they can also share their route with others.

All of the vehicles have distinctive markers that will allow users to be certain that the vehicle is using the app, which also allows for more efficient and safer operations.