Taxi Driver Online

A single-user voice only GPS solution?

Sounds just what I need to convince this lot here.

So..

How much for a single user single car GPS voice only set-up to put in my car? Can I afford it on the "Just to be flash" impulse buying to hell with the cost-effectiveness scenario?

PS. Will my neon ground kit and stereo sound to light units interfere with it?

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Can I just make one point.

I have never met a company that actually reduced its control room staff after putting in a computer system. We certainly added telephonists.

What it does do is make those 'Old Doris's' that every company seems to have in their admin/accounts department far more productive and accurate. It also reduces your dependence on them.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Hmmmmm. I think I might be the "Old Doris" !!!

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Oh dear, oh dear, dear, dear !!!!!

I think that from a drivers point of view, the idea is definitely not to reduce staff. But to increase their productivity, and to stop the back door feeding.

During the early daze of Computerisation the 25 car rule of thumb was as much to do with the profitability of the taxi company itself being able to afford the overhead of the PC's software and more importantly the ability and willingness of the staff to use computers.

All these factors cost the business money and typically companies with less than 20 cars really need all the owners/managers to be driving occasionally to suppliment their income and could not afford the financial burden and learning stresses that computerisation demanded.

Nowadays PCs are cheap, most people are no longer frightened of computers (Thats why these forums are getting more popular with drivers and operators alike)
Some companies are even preared to give away their software to startup companies.
This makes computerisation and even data affordable to even the smallest operators.
We have Navigator users with only 2 drivers and our smallest data startup was just 9 cars.

That is why we arrange grants so even the smallest companies can invest in computerisation and data.

Regarding the comment about reducing the control room staff from Tom Thumb.

We have customers who can (and do) leave their offices totally unmanned. Autobookings come in over the phone or interenet and autodespatch gives it to the cars. Zero staff in the office.. Obviously this is not practical 24 Hours a day but it still is an illustration as to how computers really reduce the number of office staff.

How does that work if someone rings up from a mobile?

Basically all autobook calls are pre-registered on the system.
Say a nightclub doorman has a cellphone.
The number of his cellphone is registered on the autobook line.
1) He rings the line twice and hangs up.
2) The caller ID is matched with a booking template which instantly places a booking on the Despatcher with the nightclub pickup address.
Destination address to be advised by passenger.
3)The Autobook then rings the doormans phone once to say the job has been accepted.
4)The auto despatch system then sends the job to the closest car.
5) If call back is allowed then the car can also ring the doorman as he arrives at the club so he can advise the passengers of his arrival.

If the doorman is using more than one cab company with autobook and ringback then the caller ID on his phone will show him which cab has arrived.

For multiple pick up and destination addreses the mobile phone user can SMS the One Soon SMS cab booking system. This integrates seamlessly with the Navigator booking screen and the scenario is basically the same.
It would take ages to explain the who to and from address matching here ..
Better you visit the website
www.onesoon.co.uk
Sorry about the rave music.. Pse turn your speakers down before visiting the site.. it can be quite loud.. Its targeted at the younger audience..
Cheers
Stewart

It's a great idea, but does it actually work?

And in London don't the new PH operators have to have a destination on the booking, for it to meet the London PH Act?

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

ah Stewart youve made a system for the touts, well done.

but most local authorities its not lawful.

We haven't made the system at all. I certainly cannot take any credit for the idea.

This has been around for nearly 10 years.

Cabmaster was the first with it then Auriga follwed and so did Autocab.
We merely added it to the feature list as it is demanded by so many of our customers, especially ones that have used it before.

I have to say I have seen it in action at Advance recently and the way they have it setup is truly impressive. You see a job appear and then dissapear from the despatch screen in a second. It looks pressty spooky sometimes.

The OneSoon system gets around the local authorities as it qualifies both the pickup and destination street addreses.

We are also making an addition to the simple autobook that allows the driver to input the destination and this instantly updates the booking form. I am not sure if that will satisfy the LA rulings. Your comments would be appreciated on this one.

Cheers
Stewart

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Diplomat Delivers
www.diplomat.co.uk

it wont the term is advance bookings, how can they be that if the driver is doing it

Tell me if I'm wrong, but only in London do they have to have the destination on all bookings by an Act.

In others areas it's a matter for councils, isn't it.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

In my area it was first used by the largest taxi firm, who also have a dozen or so PHs, about 10 years ago.

I think they have Auriga.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Mr Guest, how can you expect to have a meaningful discussion, if you keep posting under guest?

While the whole point of TDO was to allow anonymity, or perhaps I was told to allow anonymity, it's very hard to keep up a proper conversation.

I don't want to know who you are, that's your right, but please call yourself something.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk