The Taxi app is a real-time visibility service for South African commuters and taxi drivers — not a data collection platform. Your location is processed temporarily while you use the service and removed automatically the moment you leave the map. No history. No profiles. No tracking.
Taxi (by TECVO) gives drivers and passengers a real-time birds-eye view of who is at taxi pickup points and where they are going. It enhances the existing taxi experience — you still walk to your usual spot, you just now have visibility of what is coming.
Like Google Maps showing your location during navigation, or WhatsApp's live location feature, Taxi processes your location only while the service is actively in use. The moment the service ends, the data is gone.
We process the minimum amount of information required to deliver the visibility service. Nothing more.
| Data | When | Why | Deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | While map screen is active | Show your position to users going the same direction | Automatically on map exit |
| Role & direction (driver / passenger · town / local) |
While using the service | Filter the map — passengers see taxis, drivers see passengers | Automatically when service ends |
| Phone number | At login only | Standard authentication (identical to WhatsApp, banking apps) | On account deletion request |
| App preferences | Ongoing | Notification radius, display settings | On uninstall or settings reset |
| Crash reports | If app crashes | Diagnose and fix bugs — no personal or location data included | 90 days, then auto-deleted |
| Aggregated usage patterns | Ongoing | Understand feature usage to improve the app | 14 months, anonymised |
We use the following services to deliver the app. Each is operationally necessary — we use nothing else.
Powers real-time location visibility and phone authentication. Temporary location data is written to and removed from Firebase in real time. Google's Firebase Privacy Policy applies: firebase.google.com/support/privacy
Displays the map and processes location data for geocoding. Google's Privacy Policy applies: policies.google.com/privacy
Crashlytics captures anonymised crash data (device model, OS version, app version, crash context) to help us fix bugs. Analytics captures aggregated usage patterns to help us improve features. Neither service has access to your location data or phone number.
The Protection of Personal Information Act gives you the following rights in relation to your personal information:
All data transmitted by the app uses HTTPS/TLS encryption. Firebase security rules prevent any unauthorised access to the database. Because location data is automatically deleted when the service ends, the risk profile of a data breach is materially lower than apps that retain permanent user data.
This app is designed for adults using South African taxi services. It is not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly process personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has registered, that account will be deleted immediately.
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification and by updating the date at the top of this document. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
TECVO (Pty) Ltd
Reg. No. 2024/239147/07 · Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
For all privacy-related enquiries, account deletion requests, and POPIA rights:
andile@tecvo.co.za · Response within 7 business days.
This policy is also available at: andilentsele.github.io/tecvo-taxi-app