Nowadays, ride-sharing services are mushrooming in Jakarta. This new wave of transportation service forces old traditional players to have their own transformation, especially in the IT sector. Blue Bird and Express, two transportation giants in the Capital, are currently heading that way.

As stated by Express Trasindo Utama (Express Taxi’s parent company)’s Secretary Merry Anggraini, the Express team are currently having an intensive internal discussion to strengthen their IT system. They are sure that the future of transportation service lies in the adoption of smartphone, as future passengers won’t spend their time being on the road waiting for a taxi to pick them up.

To support their service transformation, Express will prepare Rp 100 billion to expand their IT capability. It will be started by the establishment of a proper backend, which has been planned to be completed by the second semester of this year. Express will then continue with the development of its mobile taxi order app which is planned to be launched in early 2016.

Meanwhile, Blue Bird is currently expanding its Blue Bird Grup Taxi Mobile Reservation app so that it may serve customers who’ve been more and more dependent to their smartphone much better. As Blue Bird Group Holding’s President Director Noni Purnomo stated, the update will be massive, as the app will be more accessible and user friendly. The app is projected to be launched in September this year.

Blue Bird’s current app has actually supported online reservation option. Nonetheless, the process it upholds seems to be more primitive than that of Uber or GrabTaxi. Blue Bird also stated that the mobile app will encourage consumer’s convenience as well.

Facing the existing ride-sharing providers

Admit it or not, the trend of online taxi reservation indeed becomes more intense after Uber enters Indonesia, along with the issues surrounding it. However, according to Purnomo, that doesn’t scare Blue Bird to innovate and present its own mobile app, since Blue Bird has possessed its own vast resources of drivers and vehicles.

Meanwhile, to bridge the customer’s transportation needs, Express decided to partner with PT Grab Taxi Indonesia.

IT transformation, especially for transportation service providers, indeed is a must. Although being quite late, at least Express and Blue Bird have started their own innovation.