Digital Dispatch's TLC SmartCab GPS taxi solution
By Conrad Quilty-Harper 
posted Mar 31st 2007 9:05PM
posted Mar 31st 2007 9:05PM
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission is currently in the process of mandating a technological update for all yellow cabs -- even if the drivers may not like it. Some of the upgrades are starting to hit the fleet, and the specific tech that is being used has been shown. For the driver, there's the Vector 530 Driver Information Monitor which includes GPS and functionality for automatically logging journeys; and for the passenger there's the iView 8000 Passenger Information Monitor which comes with a large-ish touchscreen monitor that displays a real-time map of the cab's location, fare information, as well as video content such as news. Probably the most useful feature is the ability for a passenger to swipe their credit card on the machine to pay for the fare: that's right, no more fumbling in your pocket for change. The TLC SmartCab setup was designed by Digital Dispatch and should already be in around 200 cabs. By the end of the year, all the cabs in the fleet should be updated and every cab journey will be basked in the blue glow of a GPS enabled status LCD.[Via Coolhunting]
Are these welded onto the cab because it seems like its just begging to be stolen
Speaking as a cab driver...
The auto-logging feature is great for those of us (wich is 95% of all cabbies) who are 1099'ers and have a hell of a time keeping track of fares. The GPS system I'm a bit leery of, since I have yet to find a decent GPS unit that is quick to input info on the fly without irritating fares who think you're just "stupid" for not memorizing every inch of a city like Phoenix, LA or Chicago like the back of your hand.
As far as theift is concerned, that won't be a problem. Now VANDALISM is a vaild issue. Most criminals who target taxicabs are so technologically illiterate they wouldn't know how to use it or what to do with it, but it SURE looks fun to slice up with a razor blade or Tag up "gansta" style with a sharpie.
My only concern is cost. Do they have an average market value for these units, and will they only be available at "fleet" prices or can the independent drivers buy direct from manufacturer? I can EASILY see a retrofit of one of these systems adding anywhere from 15% to 40% to a day's lease cost for those who don't own their own cabs. And, do they still use the standard radio-based data transfer or have they gone to a cellular-based transponder? If it's using the current system most cab navcoms use, streaming video and auto-logging will take FOREVER to download.
Can you swipe when you get in and then just jump out whenever you feel like? That would be neat!