The little taxi users will now request the taxi via an SMS. [ photo / Biashara Leo ]
The non-smart phone users requesting the little taxi services will now be able to ask for taxi through a short code messaging feature.
The new location based service made using the USSD technology will enable the users without data to hail a taxi by dialing *826# upon which the Little and Safaricom will be able to locate exact position of the rider... and forward the request to the nearest driver in the area.
According to the e-hailing app founder Craft Silicon, the latest location non based service is the first one in the world and it will help to reduce the trouble of not reaching the taxi due to lack of data.
“Little is available to non-smart phone users via dialing *826#. We are the first guys in the world to provide a location based service on a non-smart phone using USSD technology. In Mobile GSM based technology, generally all the mobile communications are served by several cell towers,” said Craft Silicon founder and chief executive, Kamal Budhabhatti.
The Safaricom-backed Little has also announced more plans to introduce “chauffeur drive” on its application where their drivers or car owners can request a taxi from the company at a small fee when in a trouble.
Little is among many other online taxi-hailing app that have entered the Kenyan market over past few years to rival the American e-hailing company Uber, that made its entry to Kenya in 2015.