Hailing a cab in Barcelona now easier, just click on the local public transport app

The city’s taxi services are getting integrated into the AMB Mobility app as a way to optimize their driving routes and to provide better intermodality

Starting today, 2 November, you can flag one of the iconic black-and-yellow Barcelona cabs by clicking on the Picmi Taxi functionality of the AMB Mobility mobile app. The application itself gathers all the public transit options available in the larger metropolitan area of Barcelona (15 municipalities).

The initiative aims to facilitate the use of taxis by citizens and reduce waiting times. Through the app, the user can find out how many minutes it would take a vehicle to arrive at the indicated collection point and, with this information, decide whether to accept or reject it.

In that sense, the mainstream traditional taxi services are now finally entering the digital age, much like private ride services, like Uber, which itself is not available in the city.

More options but no digital payment possible

Hailing a cab in Barcelona thus becomes easier as a customer wouldn’t need to rely on chance or go to busy spots and taxi stations in order to find a car. Apart from making taxis more attractive for citizens, due to the reduction of waiting time, the move will allow reducing the environmental impact resulting from a vehicle circulating empty and looking for customers.

Picmi Taxi also displays the approximate price of the route that the user wants to take, through the "Calculate your route" function. What the passenger can't do, however, is pre-book a taxi if it's not for immediate service or pay through the app.

If the user is in an area where there are no taxis nearby, the application refers them to other private apps and radio stations that are registered and licensed and that operate in the metropolitan area of ​​Barcelona.

Taxis thus become the latest addition to the AMB Mobility application, which has more than 175,000 active users. The app has in recent years integrated all public transport services in the Barcelona metropolitan area, including shared bicycles.