Why Google Maps Platform is the best solution for ridesharing companies

In the transport sector, technology and business models are advancing rapidly. One of the best examples is the growing number of companies offering shared mobility services. This business model provides significant economic advantages such as a spectacular reduction in terms of costs associated with vehicle depreciation and ownership, not to mention their maintenance.

In addition to the economic profitability inherent in vehicle sharing, other benefits exist at the ecological and urban management level:

• Reduction and renewal of the existing vehicle fleet
• Decrease in pollution (one shared vehicle on the road replaces five normal ones)
• Optimisation of parking spaces
• Consolidation of clean energy in cars and motorcycles

Google Maps Platform, a powerful tool for ridesharing companies

When it comes to transporting people in a shared vehicle, we can safely say that any company active in this sector necessarily needs to manage geographic data. And experience shows time and again that for businesses, Google Maps Platform is the best way to digitalise activity and increase business efficiency, while simplifying vehicle movements.

Google Maps offers numerous possibilities applied to the transport sector, and more specifically to the ridesharing sector. Amongst them, we highlight the following:

• Real time fleet management. The large number of APIs available makes Google Maps Platform the most complete tool for managing fleets in real time, a topic discussed in a previous article on this blog. An example: the Asset Tracking API allows you to locate vehicles in real time, Geocoding converts addresses into coordinates, Street View shows a location in real time and Places includes a worldwide database that is updated daily.
• Analysis of journeys to improve business. A geolocation tool such as Google Maps and its development environment allow new ridessharing companies to convert their main activity into digital information. Thanks to the data generated by Google Maps Platform, it is possible to identify the most common patterns in the movement of vehicles and customers. In this way, it is much easier to optimise the business and adapt provision to reality.
• Improved planning and last mile. Google Maps Platform enables new ridesharing companies to optimise their itineraries and improve their planning. With the data it manages, it is possible to achieve greater efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and distances, logically organise pickup points and react to changing traffic conditions (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!). Lastly, it helps increase customer satisfaction by transparently communicating arrival times and the exact location of drivers.

Some of our success stories with Google Maps in ridesharing companies and services

At Intelligence Partner, we have proven experience in providing advanced geolocation solutions based on Google Maps Platform to new ridesharing companies. These solutions are 100% adapted to the profile and needs of each company.

Let’s look at some of our success stories:

Cabify (Success story)

This company provides vehicles with a driver for hire, and is one of the biggest in its sector. It connects users with transport vehicles thanks to a mobile app in which geolocation plays a fundamental role. It operates in numerous countries, including Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Panama.

Thanks to Intelligence Partner’s consultancy on Google Maps services, Cabify offers its clients numerous benefits:

• Maximum simplicity in the service request process
• Quick pick up by a vehicle close to your location
• Option to select vehicle and driver profile
• Knowledge at all times of the location of the vehicle
• Accurate estimation of cost and duration of the trip

In turn, it offers the driver:

• Guaranteed revenues via intelligent allocation of services (for example, based on your location and your workload)
• Work optimisation thanks to the reduction of times between services
• Possibility of increasing income at peak times

Geolocation technology makes it possible to control resource allocation at all times and increase the profitability ratio of each trip. The volume of information generated also represents a very useful source of data, such as the areas where services are in highest demand, most common destinations or even personalised preferences for each customer.

Parclick (Success story)

Parclick is a company dedicated to facilitating the search for paid parking spaces (off street) and enabling their reservation via a comprehensive and advanced app that integrates Google Maps technology. This app fully exploits the potential of the Google Maps Platform APIs, which perfectly respond to its business needs. The main APIs it uses are:

• Autocomplete (Places API): offers predictions based on the location of the search, anticipating the complete writing of the address. This reduces the margin of error in the search and with it the margin of purchase/reservation cancellation.
• Javascript (Maps API): displays the map itself. Via this API, any results obtained through the Google Maps APIs that you want to implement are displayed.
• Geocoding (Places API): converts addresses into geographic coordinates that are used to arrange markers or position on the map.
• Places Details (Places API): provides details of establishments and / or points of interest such as opening hours, rating, prices, etc.
• Directions (Routes API): calculates the distance and time between one point A to another B and shows the optimal route of travel.

Mottu (Success story)

Mottu is a Brazilian motorcycle rental start-up, founded in January 2020, the majority of whose clients are professionals from the Last Mile Delivery sector. Its fleet of 1,300 motorcycles can be rented 100% online. By renting a Mottu, the customer receives access to Bora Bora Delivery, an exclusive delivery application created by Mottu. Thus, the delivery man or woman rents the motorcycle and deliveries are assigned to them.

The Bora Bora Delivery app manages orders from different Brazilian suppliers and creates smart delivery routes. For this second point, Mottu relied on Intelligence Partner, who worked on integrating the Google Maps Platform.

Taking full advantage of the geolocation functionalities of the Google tool, the Bora Bora Delivery app calculates the shortest route, in the best time and price against the criteria ‘value per kilometre travelled’. Delivery drivers also benefit from use of the platform, as 100% of the profits generated by shipping go to them.

As you have seen, here at Intelligence Partner we have outstanding expertise in projects based on Google Maps Platform for transport companies and the service sector. This knowledge and experience of the Google geolocation suite helps us to adapt it 100% to your needs.

Just as though it were a Google Maps route, tell us what your business is like, where it is now and where you want to take it using geolocation tools. We will analyse all this information and advise you on the best use of this tool to meet your requirements.

Shall we get going?