Using GPS to Hail Cabs

The Benefactor writes "The guys at The Register are running a story about using mobile phones to hail cabs in London. Using GPS technology to locate the nearest available cab and to direct it to where you call from this should make frantic arm waving to get their attention a thing of the past."

Comments

i just dont get it

[boogy nightmare]

There are literaly thousands of cabs driving around, i never have to wait more than a couple of seconds before i am in a black cab.

This seems like a waste of time to me and another way to pay off the londons congestion charge (look it up americans and quiver)

On the other hand if they could tie this into some sort of escort service and have loverly young ladies delivered to your location then by all means bring it on.

Akira

Re:i just dont get it

[beders]

Safety is going to be a factor, apart from people with more money than sense, its likely to be used by single females late at night, allowing them to spend as little time on the street as possible. The alternative, minicabs are not as tightly regulated and therefore the background of the driver is less likely to be known to the firm.

problem?

[(trb001)]

Is this really a problem? I've never been to London, but any city I have been to, the cabs were almost frantic to pull over and let you in. In New York, I've had cabbies pull over and ask if I wanted a ride when I was just standing there.

This seems like a solution waiting for a problem...

--trb

Is this really necessary?

[Hellkitty]

I'm all for utilizing technology to simplify and improve our quality of life, but come on. Walk your ass out to the curb and raise your arm over your head. If you rather spend 10 minutes fucking around with your GPS just so you can find the 2 cabbies who are geeky enough to use it, have fun. More power to you. But as far as I'm concerned, it's the equivalent of coding 10,000 lines just to produce "Hello, World".

No corporate accounts!

[chrisbtoo]

Where this would be useful, IMHO, is if your company had an account with Zingo and you could hail it knowing that you didn't actually have to foot the bill yourself (rather than wait for a CabCharge one). Sadly, they don't actually do corporate accounts, so I still can't see why you'd want it.

Their FAQ is pushing the ability to get one at night, or when it's raining, without having to stand outside, which is fair enough, I guess. If you're a jessie.

What would be really useful

[Zog The Undeniable]

...is if GPS then tracks the cab to ensure American tourists aren't taken from Heathrow to central London via Slough.

One pound sixty?!

[psyconaut]

Blimey.....that's quite the convenience fee!

Still, I guess it beats the grotty Tube.

-psy

Hmm.. and possible help against racial profiling

[bigattichouse]

Many African Americans get left behind by cabbies avoiding "any black male" in certain parts of the city... By using this system, a caller would be able to signify whether they were actually *picked up* by their cab, and possibly assist in reprimanding cabbies that aren't doing their job... or pointing out (publically/online) which companies don't provide the necessary level of service. (By having a proxy website dispatch the calls)

Re:Hmm.. and possible help against racial profilin

[MisterMook]

Of course the government and law enforcement would probably use any of this technology in a malicious way eventually too. How long until passive GPS/cell signal is built into driver's licences and ID cards in the interest of "improving infrastructure" somehow and then turned into a vast monitoring system?

And if it is all privatized, so much the better. Private companies are allowed to do things as citizens that the government wouldn't dream of.