Taxi hailing app PicknGo has officially launched in Malaysia. It aims to level the playing field for local cabbies looking to compete with e-hailing services, and brings the same technology found in its rivals to the taxi industry. That said, there is significant financial clout behind the company; allowing it to include some new and exclusive features.
We’ve covered PicknGo before, when it was first spotted on the Google Play store. It’s largely unchanged from then. Although additional details about the payment services have been revealed. Unlike other e-hailing services, PicknGo will be supply cabbies with an additional payment system that will allow them to use physical credit and debit cards.
At the moment, PicknGo is partnering with a substantial number of companies to get going. These include, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, Mastercard, Mapking (M) Sdn Bhd, Sunway Velocity Mall, Antabax, and Naturel.
Executive Director Valerie Chan said that PicknGo is a commitment to better customer service levels for taxis. Every PicknGo driver is required to undergo a training course, while the vehicles are inspected before being approved for the service.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Hajah Nancy Shukri was also at the official launch to provide the government’s support for the company. The minister said that she is happy to see traditional transportation providers taking an active role in competing with new technologies.
According to Nancy, the government is looking forward to more independent cabbies who are not subject to the current taxi leasing system. As such, eligible cabbies are being provided with a grant of RM5,000 to go towards purchasing their own vehicle to use as a taxi. A move that is necessary due to SPAD looking to implement an age limit on both taxis and e-hailing cars.
PicknGo is currently available on both Android and iOS. Just try not to be confused by the Hong Kong based screenshots.
