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Just when you were about to lose hope that a motosai app could fulfill your every wish, here comes Banana Bike.
You might think you’ve heard it all before, but this app is the first of its kind. And here’s why:
Setting up the app is familiar enough. Simply download the iOS or the Android version and register your phone number via SMS. It takes all of two seconds.
Then choose “Bike Taxi”, “Shop”, “Package Delivery” or “Tuk Tuk”.
Shop lets you order drinks, food and snacks, delivered from your friendly neighborhood convenience store straight to your door. And the variety of products on offer is enough to satisfy any late night craving. (Yeah, we know when you’ll be using this feature!) It’s perfect for those times when the top of the soi seems SO far away.
To book a ride, choose your preferred form of travel – motosai or tuk tuk – tap “Pick Me Up” and enter your destination. The app sources locations from Apple Maps, Google Maps, and FourSquare, eliminating the chance that your location can’t be found, and decreasing the likelihood of you throwing your phone out the window in frustration. Trust us, we’ve been there.
The cherry on top is that you don’t just get the nearest motosai, you also get the most affordable motosai. Nearby drivers bid for your ride as soon as you confirm your destination. You’ll know the exact price up front and even get to choose your driver. We know, it’s amazing; a convenient ride, and a guarantee you won’t get ripped off.
Beep beep.
Choose to pay by cash or by Banana. No, don’t hand your driver a handful of mushy fruit! Rack up Bananas as you ride and use them as online payment. As soon as you download the app your account gets topped up with 15 free Bananas, which equals 150 THB.
You can buy more fruity currency to use as credit towards your rides, and the more you ride, the more Bananas you get. If you find yourself out of Bananas just pay 10 THB extra to the driver who pays this Banana forward to Banana Bike. Easily keep track of it all with the “Wallet” function.
The “Package Delivery” function goes above and beyond anything currently available by allowing you to specify the size, weight and type of package. This ensures the vehicle you order is capable of carrying your precious cargo through traffic.
If packages are over 20kg, Banana Bike automatically searches for nearby tuk tuks to cover the job. Yes, Bangkok motosai drivers can deliver pretty much anything, but we’ll leave the heavy cargo to the tuk tuks.
Speaking of the trusty motosai drivers, Banana Bike only works with official motorbike taxi drivers – you know, the ones sporting flashy orange vests and yellow number plates. This makes Banana Bike fully legal and ready to ride.
So next time you find yourself standing aimlessly on the corner of your soi, or a traffic jam requires the deft driving skills that only Bangkok motosais possess, tap Banana Bike and enjoy the ride.
