The big Taxi 40100 interview with Taxibooker CEO Arnoud de Niet
For more than a year now, the taxi dispatch centre Taxi 40100 has offered all customers the option of ordering a car via WhatsApp. Reason enough to question everything a little… and to ask Taxibooker CEO Arnoud de Niet how he came up with the idea to develop this product.
1) How did you come up with the idea of developing a way to order taxis via WhatsApp ?
The idea emerged in 2021. As the IT partner of the largest taxi company in Amsterdam, we were constantly looking for new ways for passengers to book a taxi. Even back then—just like today—there were far too many apps. So I thought: Why not use an app that almost everyone already has? This simple question became the foundation of Taxibooker.
2) What role do automation or AI play in your system?
A major one. If you compare our platform today with the very first version, around 80% of the original code has now been replaced by AI, especially by large language models (LLMs). Many people assume AI is easy, but in reality it requires extensive testing, validation and refinement. This continuous evaluation process plays a crucial role in our development work today.
3) What advantages do passengers have when they order their taxi via WhatsApp?
The biggest advantage: no app installation is required. Passengers can simply use what they already have. Send “Taxi”, answer a few questions, and the car is on its way. No registration, no account required. At the same time, customers still benefit from many app-like features:
– Advance booking
– Fixed prices
– The option to cancel or change orders
– A real-time tracking link for their taxi
In short: everything you need, without having to install anything.
4) WhatsApp is a popular messenger—how do you ensure compliance with European data protection standards?
As a company based in the Netherlands, compliance is extremely important to us. That is why the entire Taxibooker platform is hosted in EU-based Google data centres. Sensitive customer data is anonymised after a predefined retention period—typically 30 days—so that only aggregated data remains available for statistical and billing purposes.
5) How do you protect the system from misuse or spam orders?
WhatsApp itself offers strong protection: since a WhatsApp account is linked to a personal phone number, misuse is rare. Users who behave abusively can easily be blocked by Meta. Since our launch, we have not had a single case that required escalation. We also provide operators with additional features, such as a block list for specific phone numbers. If someone is on this list, the bot simply stops responding. Our LLM also includes an effective spam detection mechanism that filters unwanted or automated messages, including newly emerging marketing spam.
6) How has the use of WhatsApp ordering evolved since its introduction?
We have added many new features that allow operators to tailor the entire conversation flow to their own service style. Most passengers will never notice that a bot is working in the background. We can even adapt the tone of voice to the local culture—every country and every city has its own way of speaking. A popular addition is WhatsApp broadcasting: an ideal way for operators to inform previous customers about updates, promotions or new services.
7) What new features are you planning for the coming years?
At the beginning of next year, we will introduce a completely new model that allows passengers to select their preferred vehicle type right at the start—similar to an app interface. This will make the ordering process even easier.
Further innovations include:
The option to pay for rides in advance
Full voice integration: passengers can speak in their own language and order their taxi simply by talking to the bot.
8) What feedback from users has particularly moved you?
Customers in Amsterdam who have used the system from the very beginning still use it today. This loyalty shows us that we must be doing something right—and it is incredibly rewarding to see.
Taxibooker CEO Arnoud de Niet
19.01.2026
