The On-Demand Apps That Are Disrupting the Ride-Sharing Industry

Over the past year, we’ve covered a lot of recent developments related to the ride-sharing industry. These apps have seemingly taken the nation by storm, and caused a lot of discussion among members of the traditional livery industry—us included. As we’ve studied ride-sharing apps, we’ve had to admit that traditional limo providers haven’t been the most up-to-speed (pardon the pun) when it comes to incorporating the latest technology into our business models.

That, however, is about to change. If the latest news about on-demand apps are anything to go by, the ride-sharing industry that’s dominated for the past few years is about to be flipped on its head. The traditional transportation industry is catching up, and more and more luxury limo providers from Atlanta to Los Angeles, as well as medallion cabs, are getting in on the on-demand model.

Take our partnership with Dav El | Boston Coach, for example. Dav El, a fellow luxury car service company, shares our view that car services need to catch up to current tech efforts. That’s why we’ve joined forces to create an on-demand app exclusively for chauffeured, luxury transportation. For the first time, nationwide customers will be able to hail a ride from a luxury car service provider instantly. Not only will they be able to catch on-demand rides, but their transportation will be backed by the full duty of care that only a licensed, insured and experience car service company can provide.

Ours isn’t the only app creeping up on the ride-sharing industry, however. Let’s take a look at three others that have been making waves:

Karhoo: This ride-comparison app is still in testing phases, but due to hit New York City sometime soon. Karhoo is a comprehensive service that compared prices from all area providers, from medallion cabs to executive and luxury car services. It then allows users to pay through the app for on-demand hailing, as well as pre-book rides. We’re interested to see whether Karhoo loosens the grip of a few leading on-demand providers by giving riders transparent information about all of their options, and whether the ability to easily find the best-priced limo service in the city spreads to locations like Atlanta and Boston.

iCARS: Similar to your typical ride-hailing app, iCARS is a mobile application that allows riders to instantly hail a lift. Much like our app, however, iCARS focuses exclusively on luxury car service. Similarly, iCARS’ offer of luxury transportation is backed by promises that guests enjoy a full duty of care, including chauffeurs who have been thoroughly screened for criminal histories and trained in defensive driving tactics.

UrbanHail: Based in Boston, UrbanHail is a price-comparing app, similar to Karhoo but more localized in scope. UrbanHail only price-compares transportation network companies’ fares in the Boston area, but it’s still a fantastic consumer resource. We’re including it because it was disruptive enough for Uber to take notice and demand that UrbanHail stop displaying Uber prices to customers. UrbanHail doesn’t seem too worried, however, and we’re waiting to see if they really give TNCs a run for their money.

For more updates on our Dav El | Boston Coach partnership and other innovations in the luxury, chauffeured transportation market, follow EmpireCLS on Facebook.