Is Nicoya technologically behind? Well, since June, Nicoyans have been on the cutting edge because they can now request a taxi through the Easy Taxi cell phone app, which guarantees that they will receive the name of the driver, the driver’s photo and vehicle license plate number in advance.
Nicoya is the first canton in Guanacaste to use the tool. According to Randy Cottin, regional manager of Easy Taxi for Costa Rica, the colonial city’s taxi drivers themselves requested it due to the lack of radio operators or other services that allow them to work interconnected and locate passengers more easily.
Melvin Jimenez, one of 11 drivers in Nicoya who already have the application, said that, even though not many people know about the app, it is much easier to get to places where they are needed.
“The application is great, but we are like babies in Nicoya. They still don’t request us much. It has the great advantage that it works with GPS. Addresses are much easier to locate and you get their faster,” the taxi driver commented.
According to Mariela Lopez, spokesperson for Easy Taxi, they still don’t have figures on how many Nicoyans use the tool. However, in Costa Rica, about 26,000 people have used the tool since it began operating in March of 2014.
How Does Easy Taxi Work?
To request a taxi, you must first download the application to your cell phone. This works on phones with IOS, Android, Windows Phone, Firefox and Blackberry operating systems.
Then, through the program menu, you can order a taxi. The system will verify your location by GPS and will search for the nearest affiliated driver, who must confirm the trip. The user who requested the service will be notified with the estimated arrival time.
The taxi driver should use the meter as in any service. However, the user can choose in advance whether to pay with cash or dataphone.
In addition to knowing basic information about the taxi driver, for your safety, you can see in real time as the driver nears your destination.
According to the spokesperson, the canton of Santa Cruz will be the next to use the tool.
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