Frequently Asked Questions

Nyata AI is Bristol's community AI companion – a friendly app designed to help local residents find free meals, support services, community events, and book local services like taxis, barbers, and beauty appointments. Built by a UWE Bristol graduate who worked at the Salvation Army, Nyata understands the real challenges Bristol residents face and provides practical, helpful information.

Yes! The core Nyata AI app is completely free to download and use. Finding free meals, services, and events will always be free. Some services like taxi booking have a small fee (£2 booking fee), but this goes towards maintaining the platform. Premium features may be available in the future.

Nyata AI was created by Ibrahim Maina, a UWE Bristol graduate with a degree in Information Technology Management for Business. While working part-time at the Salvation Army, Ibrahim saw how many people struggle to find the support services available to them. This inspired him to build Nyata AI – making finding help as easy as chatting with a friend.

"Nyata" comes from a word meaning "real" or "genuine" in several languages. We chose this name because Nyata AI provides real, practical help for real community needs – not generic advice, but specific, local information that actually helps Bristol residents.

Currently, yes. Nyata AI is specifically designed for Bristol, with detailed knowledge of local food banks, support services, community centres, taxi services, and events. We're focused on doing one city really well before expanding. Future plans include rolling out to other UK cities like Manchester and Birmingham.

Booking a taxi is simple:

• Step 1: Ask Nyata for a taxi or tap the taxi icon
• Step 2: Enter your pickup and destination addresses
• Step 3: Review the fare estimate and select your payment preference (cash, card, or either)
• Step 4: Pay the £2 booking fee via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or card
• Step 5: Wait for a driver to accept – you'll see their details and can track them in real-time

There are two parts to the cost:

• Booking fee: £2.00 (paid through the app when you book)
• Fare: Paid directly to the driver (cash or card)

The £2 booking fee covers platform costs including:

• Real-time GPS tracking and driver matching
• Secure payment processing
• SMS and push notifications
• 24/7 platform maintenance

This fee is separate from the fare you pay to the driver for your journey.

Yes, but refund eligibility depends on when you cancel:

• Before a driver accepts: Full refund (or hold released if not yet charged)
• After a driver accepts: £2 booking fee is non-refundable
• No-show: If you don't appear within 5 minutes of driver arrival, the booking may be cancelled and the fee is non-refundable

When a driver accepts your booking, you'll receive a 4-digit verification code. This is for your safety:

• The driver will show you their code when they arrive
• Make sure it matches the code in your app before getting in
• This confirms you're getting into the right vehicle

Also check the vehicle registration plate matches what's shown in the app.

Yes! All drivers on our platform are required to hold valid Bristol City Council Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licenses. When a driver accepts your booking, you'll see:

• Driver's name and photo
• Vehicle make, model, colour, and registration
• PHV license number and expiry date
• Driver rating and number of completed trips

Yes! Once a driver accepts your booking, you can track them in real-time on a map. You'll see:

• Driver's current location
• Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
• Route to your pickup location

You can also share your ride with friends or family using the "Share My Ride" feature for added safety.

You pay the driver directly at the end of your journey. When booking, you select your preference:

• Cash: Pay the driver in cash
• Card: Pay the driver by card (most drivers have card machines)
• Either: You're happy with either option

The final fare is calculated by the driver's taximeter, not the estimate shown in the app.

If no drivers accept your booking within the timeout period, your booking will be automatically cancelled and you'll receive a full refund of the £2 booking fee. You can try booking again later or during less busy times.

We accept the following payment methods for booking fees:

• Apple Pay – One-tap payment on iPhone (Face ID or Touch ID)
• Google Pay – One-tap payment on Android
• Credit/Debit Card – Visa, Mastercard, American Express

All payments are processed securely through Stripe.

We use a secure two-step payment process:

• Step 1 - Authorization: When you book, we place a temporary £2 hold on your card. This is NOT a charge yet.
• Step 2 - Capture: The £2 is only charged when a driver accepts your booking.

Refund timing depends on the situation:

• Cancelled before driver accepts: The hold is released immediately. It may take 24-48 hours to disappear from your bank statement.
• Driver cancelled / No drivers: Full refund processed automatically. Typically appears in your account within 5-10 business days.

Refund times vary depending on your bank.

Absolutely. We use Stripe, a world-leading payment processor that is PCI DSS Level 1 certified (the highest security standard).

• We never store your full card number
• We never store your CVV or PIN
• All payment data is encrypted
• Apple Pay and Google Pay provide additional security through biometric authentication

If you believe you've been charged incorrectly:

• Email us at ibrahim@nyataai.co.uk within 30 days
• Include your booking reference and details of the issue
• We'll investigate and respond within 14 days

We take payment disputes seriously and will work to resolve any issues quickly.

Nyata can help you find:

• Free meals – Food banks, community kitchens, soup kitchens
• Hot showers – Locations offering shower facilities
• Support services – Housing help, mental health support, job centres
• Community events – Free activities, workshops, social gatherings
• Healthcare – NHS services, pharmacies, urgent care
• Benefits advice – Where to get help with benefits applications
• Taxi booking – Book licensed taxis with real-time tracking
• Barber appointments – Book local barbers
• Beauty services – Book local beauty professionals

Yes! Nyata AI supports voice input, so you can speak your questions instead of typing. This is especially useful when you're on the go. The app also has text-to-speech features so Nyata can read responses aloud to you.

Yes! One of Nyata's unique features is the ability to chat in authentic Bristolian dialect. You can choose from different AI personalities in the app settings. It's a fun way to make the experience feel more local and friendly – proper Bristol, like!

We work hard to keep Nyata's knowledge base current. Information about food banks, services, and events is regularly updated. Nyata also integrates with live data sources where possible, including weather information and event listings. If you notice outdated information, please let us know!

Yes! After each taxi trip, you can rate your driver from 1-5 stars. Your ratings help us maintain service quality and help other users make informed choices. You can also leave feedback about your experience.

Yes. Your data is protected with industry-standard security. Nyata AI is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration number ZC042900.

We comply with GDPR and UK Data Protection laws. We do not sell your data to anyone.

We collect only what is needed to provide our services:

• Chat messages (so Nyata can reply to you)
• Your email + account info (if you create an account)
• Location data for taxi bookings and Bristol services
• Booking history for taxi, barber, and beauty services
• Payment references (but NOT your card details)
• Basic analytics to improve the app

You can use most of Nyata's features even without an account.

Yes. You're fully in control. In the chat interface, you can:

• Delete a single message
• Delete a whole conversation
• Clear your entire chat history

Once deleted, chat data is permanently removed from your account.

Yes. Your chats are private and encrypted in transit. We never sell or share your personal conversations.

Anonymous data may be used to improve Nyata's accuracy, but this cannot identify you.

We retain different data for different periods:

• Chat history: Until you delete it
• Taxi booking records: 2 years (for regulatory compliance)
• Payment records: 7 years (UK tax requirements)
• Account data: 90 days after account deletion

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Nyata AI is available on:

• iPhone – Download from the App Store
• Android – Download from the Google Play Store
• Web – Access via browser at ai.mottatracking.com

Nyata AI requires an internet connection to work, as it needs to communicate with our servers to process your questions, book taxis, and provide up-to-date information. However, we're exploring offline features for future updates.

Try these troubleshooting steps:

• Check your internet connection
• Close and reopen the app
• Update to the latest version from the App Store or Play Store
• Restart your phone
• Clear the app cache (Settings → Apps → Nyata → Clear Cache)

If problems persist, contact us at ibrahim@nyataai.co.uk with details about the issue.

If wallet payments aren't working:

• Make sure you have a card added to Apple Pay or Google Pay
• Check that your device supports contactless payments
• Ensure Face ID / Touch ID / fingerprint is enabled
• Try adding a different card to your wallet

You can always use the "Pay with Card" option as an alternative – just enter your card details directly.

Yes! We offer a REST API that allows developers to integrate Nyata's Bristol-specific knowledge into their own applications. This is perfect for community organisations, charities, or businesses that want to provide local support information. Visit our API documentation to learn more.

Getting your API key is simple:

• Step 1: Create a Nyata account via the App Store or Google Play Store
• Step 2: Log in to your account
• Step 3: Visit the API Dashboard
• Step 4: Click "Generate New Key" and copy your key

Your account will be automatically linked to your API dashboard, where you can manage keys and view usage statistics.

Absolutely! We love working with charities and community organisations. Contact us at ibrahim@nyataai.co.uk to discuss special pricing and integration options for non-profits. We're passionate about supporting the Bristol community.