A NEW smartphone app is helping taxi passengers stay safe and travel across Glasgow faster.

The app allows custo-mers to skip Glasgow Taxi's telephone queue and book a cab on screen, cutting waiting times.

Customers can also find the closest cabs with a Find a Rank function.

The app allows passengers to find out how far away the taxi is with a live tracking feature with access to a number of automatic 'on app- roach' notifications.

They can also automatically dial the call centre in Glasgow.

The iHail function uses the smartphone's GPS to determine the pick up point and is part of an £1.8million investment on a state-of-the-art IT system.

The firm, voted the city's favourite by Evening Times readers, has invested in the system to help them settle queries about fares and routes.

Drivers whose cabs are tracked will not be able to cheat customers because their bosses will always be able to check exactly where and when they took their fare.

It is understood the police have also been in talks with Glasgow Taxi's East End HQ to see how the tracking system could help trace witnesses.

Stephen Flynn, vice chairman of Glasgow Taxis Ltd said: "The Glasgow Taxis app enables users to order a taxi at the touch of a button, regardless of location.

"It is yet another innovative way to make the process of getting home safely easier for our customers.

"Not only do they automatically jump the telephone queue, they can track to see how far away their taxi is, reducing any idle waiting time.

"It has proven to be very popular, especially amongst students in the city".

"As well as using our app, customers can get a taxi from any of the four night zones in the city centre, by calling our 24-hour call centre or by hailing one of the 1000 cabs which patrol the city's streets around the clock."

There are almost 1500 black cabs in Glasgow. Of these, Glasgow Taxis owns nearly 1000 and employs more than 2000 drivers.

caroline.wilson @eveningtimes.co.uk