The global taxi market is growing again. In 2025, it is expected to cross $138 billion in revenue. By 2030, over 970 million users worldwide may rely on taxi services. Many of them now prefer licensed taxis booked through apps.
This makes it the right time to develop an app like Curb that connects users to trusted local drivers.
Curb shows that a smart taxi app can still win in a market full of ride-hailing platforms. Unlike other models, Curb focuses on real taxis, flat fares and local compliance.
If you want to enter this space, the best way is to create ride-sharing app solutions with a clear plan and simple launch strategy.
To do this, you need the right team, tools and roadmap. Skilled mobile app development helps you build a fast, stable, and user-friendly platform that riders and drivers can trust.
Each step in this guide will help you move forward with clarity.
Curb is a taxi booking app that connects users to licensed and professional taxi drivers through a mobile platform. It brings digital convenience to traditional taxis and offers safe and affordable rides across major US cities. Users can book rides instantly, schedule them in advance or pay for a street-hailed cab using the app.
Curb improves the way taxis work without changing how they operate. Instead of using unverified private drivers like other apps, Curb works with trained, insured and certified drivers who follow city taxi rules.
What sets it apart from apps like Uber or Lyft is the focus on trust, regulation and fair pricing. There are no surprise charges or surge charges. All rides are handled by professional drivers who are licensed by city authorities.
A curb like taxi app offers a balance of technology and trust. It keeps the reliability of the taxi system and adds ease of booking, tracking and paying through mobile.
To develop a Curb taxi app for your own market, it is important to understand how Curb started and grew over time.
Curb was founded in 2012 by Erik Norwood. It started in Austin, United States, as an energy monitoring solutions provider. Later, the company shifted its focus to transportation technology, aiming to support licensed taxi services through digital tools.
Curb’s deeper industry roots come from the work of Amos Tamam. In 1992, he founded Metro Shop and served as President of TaxiTronic. He built the Metrometer 21R, the first taximeter to accept card payments. In 2000, his team installed payment systems for 3,000 New York taxis. By 2007, TaxiTronic formed a partnership with Verifone and created Verifone Transportation Systems.
In 2015, Verifone acquired Curb for 30 million dollars through a deal managed by OEM Capital. This move helped Curb expand across cities and offer taxi booking, fare payments, and in-car media. The company later became independent from Verifone in 2018 and launched Curb Mobility.
Today, Curb connects over 100,000 drivers and powers around 10 million rides each month. It supports passengers, taxi operators and advertisers through a single platform.
Funding and Growth
Curb has raised a total of 20.7 million dollars across six funding rounds. Its first funding was in 2008. Investors include:
These funds supported product expansion and platform upgrades across major cities.
Curb has 5,254 active competitors. Out of these, 726 are funded companies and 437 have exited. Its top competitors include AppFolio, Landis+Gyr and Signify. According to Crunchbase, Curb holds a Growth Score of 37.
This timeline shows how Curb combines deep industry knowledge with long-term investment. It offers a strong model for those planning to develop Curb taxi app like platforms for local or global markets.
Curb operates with a hybrid structure that brings together licensed taxi networks and digital ride-hailing tools. It earns revenue by enabling ride bookings, offering B2B transport logistics and managing driver-partner services. Through a focused approach, Curb supports passengers, businesses and local fleets while ensuring compliance with urban transport rules.
At the heart of its strategy lies a unified mobility platform that integrates digital tools with regulated taxi services. The platform is accessible through mobile apps, call centers, web portals and hardware solutions for street-hail integration. This model enables Curb to earn from multiple channels while maintaining service quality and local compliance.
Curb earns passengers who use its app or other tools to book licensed taxis. With millions of monthly rides, this remains a core source of income.
It supports thousands of drivers and fleets by offering access to additional trips and revenue. This includes integration with third-party aggregators and systems.
Curb for Business allows companies, schools, healthcare providers and government agencies to manage ground transportation. Organizations pay for services such as ride booking, trip tracking, expense management and platform access.
This web-based tool helps administrators manage and assign trips. It is cloud-based, supports thousands of users and offers features such as ride monitoring and custom reporting.
Curb licenses its ride-booking API and technology stack to third parties. These integrations allow partners to use Curb’s infrastructure to serve their own passengers or employees.
Curb Media reaches millions daily through screens inside taxis. Brands use these displays for local and national ad campaigns.
Curb’s business model supports flexible access points. Riders can book through mobile apps, desktop portals, QR scanners, taxi buttons or even phone calls. Each method is linked to its central system, which allows secure, verified and accountable ride management.
With this blend of tools, Curb creates a dependable model for city transportation. It gives passengers an easy ride experience, drivers reliable income and businesses structured solutions. The app’s backend infrastructure supports transparency, security and reporting, which makes it suitable for both individual users and large institutions.
This strategic approach to combining digital tools with traditional taxi services serves as a strong example for anyone planning to curb app development. It proves that regulated transport, when managed through technology, can compete in modern ride-hailing markets while remaining fully compliant with urban transport policies.
To develop app like Curb, you must follow a structured, scalable and user-first process. A taxi booking platform must serve both riders and drivers with speed, safety and accuracy. Each stage must support the next step to create a platform that works in real life, not just on paper. You can also learn key insights by studying some of the best ridesharing apps already active in the market.
Start your Curb-like app development with thorough research. This step gives you a clear view of user expectations, service gaps and legal rules. It prevents mistakes that waste time, money or lead to poor user response. A curb like taxi app must serve real needs in real locations.
Start by focusing on four core areas:
Then speak with real users and drivers. Ask direct questions about their daily problems. These insights will shape your feature list in the next step.
After completing market research, the next step is to define essential features. These must serve riders, drivers and admins. Each group uses the app differently, so the experience must match their needs. Start by focusing on daily tasks and common problems shared during your research.
Begin with basic core features:
For riders:
For drivers:
For admins:
Start with a minimum viable product. Add only the features that help users move, earn or manage. Expand once your app is stable and useful. The next step is to design a smooth and easy-to-use interface.
After finalizing the features, design the user interface and experience. A clean and intuitive design helps users complete tasks without confusion. Riders, drivers and admins should reach their goals in minimum steps. The app must feel familiar, even to first-time users.
Start by designing simple flows:
Design each screen for both speed and clarity. Avoid crowded layouts or unnecessary fields. Build separate interfaces for riders, drivers and admins based on their roles.
Test your prototype with real users before starting development. Collect feedback where users pause, make errors or leave tasks incomplete. Improve the design based on real behavior.
A well-tested design reduces user frustration and lowers support requests. With a smooth interface in place, you can now move forward to selecting the right technology stack.
Your app must be fast, reliable and secure. To achieve this, you need to choose a technology stack that supports real-time updates, smooth navigation and scalable features. This step forms the base for how well your app performs across devices and grows with users.
Begin by identifying tools that are simple to manage and support your business goals. Each component should work together to deliver a seamless rider and driver experience.
Suggested technology stack to develop app like Curb:
After selecting your stack, set up a clear and modular code structure. Divide features by user role; rider, driver and admin. Use standard naming, short functions and secure access points. This makes your app easier to update, scale and monitor without raising costs.
Now that the stack is ready, move to the next step and begin developing the app into smaller, testable parts. Each function must work well before adding new ones.
Once your tech stack and design are ready, start building the app in clear stages. Divide the work by user roles; Rider, Driver and Admin. Each module should work independently but connect through a shared backend. This keeps your app stable, flexible and easy to scale.
Begin with the backend. It powers the platform and handles all data processing. Code it in a way that allows for fast updates and easy fixes.
Focus backend development on:
Now move to the frontend. Build clean, responsive screens for every user. Keep the design simple and clear.
Key frontend tasks include:
Use agile cycles to plan and deliver small updates each week. Run short tests after each release. Adjust based on internal feedback.
This step builds a working foundation. It connects all roles and prepares your app for live tracking and real-time updates in the next stage.
After completing the app’s core functions, shift your focus to real-time system integration. A taxi booking app like Curb depends on instant communication between riders and drivers. Real-time updates make the ride experience faster, safer and more reliable.
Your system must respond within seconds. Riders expect live updates on driver location, trip status and estimated arrival time. Drivers need quick notifications about ride requests and route changes. Any delay can lead to cancellations or support issues.
Key real-time features include:
Use lightweight technologies to keep response times low. WebSockets and Firebase are popular tools for real-time messaging. They support quick data sync between devices and servers.
Run load tests to simulate multiple users booking at once. Measure how your app handles traffic during peak hours. Fix issues like slow updates or map errors before launch.
This step builds trust between riders and drivers. With accurate updates and smooth coordination, your platform will feel dependable and professional. The next step will focus on complete testing before going live.
Testing is essential before launch. It ensures every feature works correctly across devices and user roles. A strong testing phase helps avoid failures after launch.
Start with internal testing, then include real drivers and riders to test the experience in real-world conditions. Test app speed, login flow and trip completion without skipping any step.
Types of testing to include:
Note real-user feedback carefully. If users face confusion, delays or bugs, fix them before release. Smooth testing now will prevent costly support calls later.
Do not launch everywhere at once. Begin with a small, controlled rollout. A pilot launch helps reduce risk and gives time to fix issues based on actual user data.
Select a city or region with steady taxi demand. Limit the release to selected riders and drivers. Track how they use the app across trip booking, driver arrival and fare payment.
Focus your tracking on:
Review the results weekly and improve app speed, trip matching and reporting tools. Once your team handles live issues smoothly, prepare for a full launch.
Once your MVP is stable, expand gradually. Avoid adding all features or markets at once. Use what you have learned to plan each next step.
Enhance the platform with:
Before entering new cities, check local taxi laws, fare rules and data policies. Update your platform to match each city’s needs.
Partner with experts in curb app development. They help avoid legal delays, tech gaps or platform errors. With the right support and plan, your app can scale smoothly while serving users with confidence.
Following these steps will help you develop app like Curb that works in real-world traffic, under live demand and across multiple user roles. Each step builds on the previous one to support stable growth and long-term success.
To build app like Curb that perform well and scale efficiently, each feature must serve a clear user need. You must divide features based on the roles of riders, drivers and admins. This ensures smooth operation and better user satisfaction across the platform.
Start by listing the most essential features that support daily activities. Each function should improve booking speed, ride safety and system control.
Rider Features
These features help passengers book and manage their rides with ease. They support fast decisions and reduce confusion during the trip.
These functions help build user trust and repeat usage by reducing wait time and handling payments without delays.
Driver Features
Drivers need tools that help them receive rides, navigate routes and track their performance. Features must reduce idle time and keep earnings clear.
These features keep drivers informed and motivated by giving them real-time access to work data and tools.
Admin Features
Admins handle platform control. Their tools must ensure that only verified drivers operate and that trips run without technical issues.
Each admin tool must support fast decisions and help the platform avoid legal or safety issues. Together, they make the system stable, accountable and scalable.
Smooth performance in these three areas is key to building app like Curb that work in real conditions. Once these core features are ready, you can expand based on feedback and usage data.
To develop app like Curb, you need a technology stack that is reliable, scalable and easy to maintain. It should support live tracking, multiple user roles, real-time communication and secure payments. The tools you choose will directly affect performance, stability and long-term cost.
Your tech stack should cover all key layers of development. Each tool must support the rider, driver and admin experience without delays or data loss.
Frontend:
Backend:
Database:
Real-time updates:
Choose tools that are well-supported and widely used. They help your team build faster and solve technical issues with ease. For faster results, explore our React Native app development services to support your launch.
This stack connects well with each development phase. It ensures your app runs smoothly, updates quickly and scales as your user base grows.
To build app like Curb, you need to plan the cost by stages, tasks and scope. Every feature, screen and module add to the total. A well-planned approach reduces waste and supports faster delivery. You can explore the Cost to develop Taxi App to estimate each part clearly.
Begin with a simple version that solves key problems. Add extra features after testing the real usage. This method helps control your budget without reducing the quality of the service.
Basic Version
Covers trip booking, payments and real-time tracking
Estimated cost: $10,000 to $40,000
Standard Version
Includes booking, driver profiles, admin dashboard and reports
Estimated cost: $40,000 to $100,000
Advanced Version
Supports multi-city use, dynamic pricing and analytics
Estimated cost: $100,000 to $200,000
Each step adds a fixed share to the total. Divide the budget clearly so your team can manage resources with focus.
Always keep 15 to 25 percent of the full budget for ongoing updates and bug fixes.
Use tools like React Native and Node.js to reduce hours of development. Start with one city. Keep the first version clean and direct. These steps help reduce costs without slowing growth.
If you build app like Curb with this phased plan, you can launch on time, stay within budget and upgrade based on real feedback.
To make an app like Curb within a limited budget, focus on the essentials. Begin with fewer features, use reusable tools and partner with the right team. This helps reduce cost and keeps the development fast and focused.
Begin with core features only. Include user login, ride booking, driver tracking, fare calculation, and payment. Avoid extra features in the first version. Launch in one area and use feedback to decide what to build next. This helps reduce waste and keep your spending on track.
Build an app for both Android and iOS. Use frameworks like React Native or Flutter. This allows you to reuse most of the code. It speeds up the process and reduces costs. One team can manage both platforms without extra effort.
Select tools that already solve key problems. Use Google Maps for location, Stripe for payments and Firebase for messaging. These tools save time, work reliably and cost less than building from zero. Choose tools with clear support and proven use.
Find a team that has built ride sharing apps before. Experienced developers will guide each step and reduce the chance of making mistakes. They know how to create ride sharing taxi app like Curb with fewer delays. A skilled team brings speed and clarity.
Start small, plan each phase and rely on proven methods. This helps keep costs low without lowering quality. Focus on what helps your users first. Improve based on their needs, not assumptions.
If you plan to build a taxi app, you must know how others are doing it. Many companies already serve riders and drivers in different ways. These apps show what works in the real world. You can learn from their models and avoid common mistakes. For fare differences and service areas, explore this Taxi Fare Comparison to better understand the landscape.
Here are five top apps similar to Curb that offer unique features:
Uber is the most popular ride-hailing app. It connects riders to nearby drivers through GPS. The app handles bookings, payments and ride tracking.
What makes it different: Wide service area and flexible ride options.
Lyft works mainly in North America. It offers cars, bikes and scooters through one app. It gives fixed pricing before the ride starts.
What makes it different: Rider and driver-friendly features with strong support.
Gett connects users with taxi fleets. It targets business users and supports bulk bookings. The app gives clear invoices and account reports.
What makes it different: Strong focus on corporate travel and fleet management.
Arro is built for traditional taxi drivers. It connects directly to city taxi systems and skips surge pricing.
What makes it different: Close link to licensed taxis and fair pricing.
Bolt serves cities across Europe and Africa. It offers rides, scooters and food delivery. It takes lower commission from drivers.
What makes it different: Affordable for users and better pay for drivers.
These examples show how to reach different types of users. They prove there is more than one way to build a working app. Review them closely to improve your own plan.
To develop Curb taxi app successfully, you need a team that understands ride-sharing logic, mobile app performance and real-world operations. Arka Softwares brings all three into one focused process. We support your journey from idea to deployment and stay with you after launch.
We have delivered over 650 successful projects across sectors like transportation, healthcare, education and eCommerce. Our ride-sharing apps serve thousands of active users. With a 78% client retention rate and over 14 years of experience, our 150+ member team can meet business goals with precision and speed.
We have developed platforms with live GPS tracking, booking management, secure payments and real-time updates. Apps like DialUsafi and Spitar reflect our ability to create user-first experiences with backend reliability. These projects handle real traffic and deliver performance across devices.
Explore our on-demand taxi app development services to see how we build custom, scalable platforms tailored to your needs.
We start with clear planning and deep research. Each project is divided into rider, driver and admin modules. Our agile process allows weekly progress with fast resolution. After launch, we handle updates, testing and backend monitoring.
We use trusted tools such as React Native, Firebase, Node.js and MongoDB. These choices help us create cross-platform apps that run smoothly, even under load. You can review our mobile app development process to understand how we ensure long-term value.
Do you want to expand your team? Use our Hire Dedicated Developer model to work directly with experts who build and maintain your taxi platform.
With Arka Softwares, you get more than code. You gain a team focused on growth, support and user trust. We help you create ride sharing apps that work in real cities, not only in test labs.
To build an app like Curb, you need clear planning, strong execution and trusted support. Focus on real needs. Use proven tech and start with a simple MVP, then grow step by step. This saves time and money while keeping your users happy.
Choose partners who understand ride-sharing, user flow and local rules. Teams like Arka Softwares help you stay on track from idea to launch. With the right strategy, your app can scale across cities and serve both riders and drivers without friction.
Take action today. Begin with one strong city, test your system and improve fast. Use real feedback to grow your platform. Every smart decision at this stage will shape the future of your ride-sharing business.
To develop a taxi app, follow these steps:
Choose a team with ride-sharing experience for the best results.
The cost to develop a taxi app depends on features and team location. On average:
Use cross-platform tools and pre-built modules to reduce cost.
You can create a ride sharing taxi app like Curb in 3 to 6 months for a basic version. Larger platforms with custom features may take 9 to 12 months or longer.
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