The public booking page for riders

Your riders open one web address, confirm their email with a code, and book a taxi. Then a live page shows the driver's first name, the taxi, its plate and the arrival time. You will be able to switch the page on, set its limits and tell riders where to find it.

Before you start #

• The owner or a manager switches the page on and sets its limits.
• Mail has to be set up on the office server. The email code cannot go out without it, and the page answers Booking is not available right now. (see shared-dispatch).
• Set the public address of the server, so the rider's trip link works (see public-address-and-trusted-proxies).
• Add at least one active meter rate (see taxi-fares-and-estimates), and have drivers on shift.
• Taxi is part of the Pro and Business editions.

Switch the page on #

1. Open Taxi, then Rates and settings, then Dispatch settings, then "Public booking page".
2. Tick "Let riders book on the public page". The page shows "Public page address:" with the address, which ends in /ride.
3. Set the limits: "Least notice for a booking, in minutes", "Days ahead a rider can book", "Open trips for each phone number" (1 to 20, starting at 3) and "Bookings for each phone number in a day" (1 to 100, starting at 10).
4. Optionally, under "Records and addresses", fill in "Address lookup service" with the web address of a geocoder, such as https://geocoder.example.com. With it, riders see address matches as they type. Without it, riders type the full address.
5. Save. The page reads "Riders can book at this address." With the box unticked, riders see "Online booking is closed at the moment. Please call us to book a taxi."

What a rider does #

1. Opens (your public address)/ride. The page carries your logo and colours, and a Language menu.
2. Under "Your details", types an email and a phone number and chooses "Send me a code". The code comes by email, has 6 digits and works for 10 minutes.
3. Types the code and chooses "Confirm code". The check holds for 2 hours.
4. Under "Your trip", types a name and the Pick-up. Adds a Drop-off when known. Each address can come from:
   • the search matches, after 3 letters, when a lookup service is set;
   • the typed address;
   • "Use my location", for the pick-up;
   • "Choose on the map", which places a pin when a map is available.
5. Under When, chooses Now or Later. Later asks for the "Pick-up date and time", with the least notice and the days ahead shown below it.
6. Sets Passengers (1 to 8) and Bags, ticks "I need a wheelchair-accessible taxi" when it applies, and opens "I have an account code" to type a code from a company, school or clinic (see vouchers-and-account-codes).
7. Adds a Flight number or Notes for the driver if wanted.
8. Reads the "Fare estimate" once both places have a position. It says "A flat fare." for a flat fare, or "About (amount)" with the note that the estimate uses the straight-line distance and the meter sets the final fare. Without positions it says the meter sets the fare.
9. Chooses "Book my taxi". The trip page opens.

The rider's trip page #

• The status reads "Finding your taxi", "Your taxi is on the way", "Your taxi is here", "On your trip", "Trip complete", "Trip cancelled" or "Marked as a no-show".
• When a driver has the trip, the page shows the Driver (first name), Taxi, Plate and Cab number, the line "Your taxi arrives in about (minutes) minutes." and a link to the taxi position on OpenStreetMap.
• "Cancel this trip" asks for confirmation. When a fee applies, the page says so first (see taxi-cancel-and-no-show-fees).
• After the trip, the Receipt shows with a Print receipt button (see taxi-receipts).
• The page refreshes itself. The link keeps working for 30 days after the trip ends.

Booking link for a website form #

The short booking form (name, pickup address and pickup time) has its own link, apart from the ride page above.

1. Open Settings, then "Booking page", and choose "Make the booking link". The address appears once; choose "Copy the address" or "Open the page".
2. Each request lands on the taxi board as a trip waiting for a driver.
3. "Make a new link" gives a new address and switches the old one off, so update any button on your website that points to it.
4. The form shows in the languages you switched on under "Customer languages".

If something goes wrong #

• "Online booking is closed at the moment.": tick "Let riders book on the public page" and save.
• Booking is not available right now.: mail is missing from the server settings.
• That code is not right or has run out. Ask for a new one.: request a new code.
• "Your email check has run out. Confirm your email again to book.": repeat the email step.
• "Choose a time at least (minutes) minutes from now, or pick Now.": the rider picked a time inside the notice.
• "Too many tries. Wait a few minutes and try again.": a limit was reached.
• A trip shows "Needs the desk": the address has no position. Give it to a driver (see taxi-auto-dispatch).