June 9, 2015—TAPPXI, a new ride-sharing service pegged as the “legal, licensed, full-time, commercially insured” rival to Uber, has launched in Palm Beach County, Fla., according to an announcement the company made on Tuesday.
Founder Rebekah Urbina issued the following statement: “Given the current State of Affairs, and in light of the plethora of documented and reported safety issues, Consumers, Corporations and the Government are exercising neglect by either using their services, or allowing illegal Car Service/TAXI Apps to operate illegally or under self regulated terms. This is Main Street vs. Wall Street pumping a Silicon Valley start-up to do an IPO as soon as possible and at any cost. TAPPXI is not Goliath in this scenario, but we will do everything in our power to make sure that there is a safe, legal, commercially insured and reliable option out there."
TAPPXI’s soft launch this month will include a giveaway of up to 1,000 free rides to first-time passengers for rides originating from Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
TAPPXI also plans to franchise its cashless on-demand car service app to major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S., allowing passengers the convenience of using TAPPXI regardless of what city they are in.
"For-hire transportation is a very personal service. The "peer-to-peer" Uber model is even more personal. Drivers are picking up passengers in their own personal cars. Drivers and passengers are exchanging personal information, including cell phone numbers, pictures and home addresses. Level II (fingerprint) background checks are critical for a service that relies on such personal information and are 43 times more effective than the name-based checks currently used by illegal apps," said Urbina. "Traditional "for-hire" drivers are required to carry commercial liability insurance at all times, pass government mandated background checks, wear an identification badge, provide service to everyone and register their vehicles with local regulatory agencies. UBER and Lyft should do the same."
