The Island’s first app for booking taxis has officially launched, with more than 50 drivers signed up and more than 100 successful rides.

Hitch Bermuda links passengers with drivers, enabling customers with the free app on their phones to see which operators are closest, then choose and track their driver.

The service allows drivers to be rated, and vice versa, according to Cory Millett, the service’s marketing director.

It “completely eliminates the need to carry cash” and allows different riders in the same taxi to split their fare.

Calvin Minors, who created Hitch with co-founder Sergio Virgil, said the Bermudian-made app had been customised to the Island.

“Hitch has some cool features that we have added to it — it’s capable of constantly evolving,” Mr Minors said.

It has been programmed to “mirror our current taxi meters”, following their legally mandated rates for fares. Taxi drivers will use mounted mobile devices, meaning they will not run afoul of the Island’s laws on the use of handheld technology while driving.

Mr Minors added that the system was capable of working with the existing taxi dispatch system.