LOST ON A NIGHT OUT?

Features » Technology

Mark Nolan / 2011-06-06 12:42:13

The app is available on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows mobile.

So you´re having a night out? Friends, family, colleagues, whoever you´re with doesn´t really matter, what matters is having a good time, right? Of course it does, but what also matters is staying safe!

We are all too aware of the dangers of drinking too much, letting our guard down, becoming complacent. We all hear tale of bags going missing, fights, arguments and the like, often fuelled by alcohol.

But then there are those who ignore the advice of not drinking and driving, drinking far more than is safe and considerably more than is legal.

The alcohol limit is a lot lower in Spain than in the UK, and there is a clear reason for that. Alcohol affects your driving and if you are behind the wheel of a car whilst under the influence of alcohol, you are simply propelling a one ton killing machine, showing total disregard for your own life and the lives of others.

But, not everybody is like that, and certainly nobody needs to do that. Even when public transport stops, taxis are still available, so you can go out, enjoy yourself to the full and then let somebody else take you home, safely.

The question is, how do you get a taxi?

There are many people in Spain who choose to ignore the law, perhaps sometimes ignorant of laws they are breaking, but the simple fact is that if you accept something like cash to transport a person to a destination, then that qualifies as you performing as a taxi, albeit without the necessary license,

ocumentation or insurance. There are countless cases of insurance companies refusing to pay out following accidents that have involved these illegal services, even though the driver sometimes believe they were doing nothing illegal.

The only legal taxi service is one that is registered with the town hall and licensed and insured to carry fare paying passengers.

You might also want to note that these legal taxi drivers will display their license in the vehicle, the car itself will have a certificate number on it, as issued by the town hall, and there will be an “SP” plate clearly displayed on the vehicle.

The best way of getting a taxi is to locate your nearest taxi rank, which will be clearly painted on the road to show you. Look out for the green light that shows a taxi is available to hire. Check your local telephone directory, but again be careful not to stumble on one of the illegal operators, and now, through the wonder of technology, you are able to summon a taxi by a couple of simple clicks on your Smartphone.

Teletaxi Torrevieja are the latest operator to be listed as a taxi firm under the Goo Taxi app, which is available in the iTunes store for FREE. The service is currently available through various locations in Spain and is set to launch across the whole of Europe soon, including the UK.

Once you have downloaded the app to your Smartphone, you are ready to go. When you click the app, it opens up a mapping feature, using the Smartphone´s built in GPS to identify exactly where you are.

Then, with just a simple click, you send that information to the control centre, who then send the details of your location to the closest available vehicle, which is promptly despatched to pick you up.
You never have to remember telephone numbers, you don´t even have to know where you are, the app does it all for you.

Not only that, you don´t even have to speak to an operator as it´s all automated, so you don´t even have to worry about the language fears of trying to explain where you are.

Remember, the app is free to download, so get it today and next time you need a ride, you will be safe in the knowledge that you have an app that will quickly bring a legal taxi to you, wherever you are, and promptly take you home safely.

The app is available on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows mobile. For more information you can visit their website at http://www.gootaxi.com/.