Taxi drivers and their passengers in San Francisco are about to take their trips into the cloud. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board last week said it will require all of the city’s 1,700 taxis to install equipment to collect real-time location and occupancy data to smart phone application developers, which will feed into a cloud-based ride management system.
Frias Transportation Infrastructure’s (FTi) cloud-based RideIntegrity system will use this equipment to create a single authoritative data stream to provide the traveling public quicker and easier access to taxis. This cloud-based system was named after its ability to provide one sound, unimpaired system for use by all parties to a for-hire vehicle ride to allow them to obtain, supply, monitor and regulate.
The FTi RideIntegrity system will be used to create the SFMTA’s Electronic Taxi Access system, which is intended to provide public access to all San Francisco taxis through smart phone and internet platforms. The legislation requires all motor-vehicle-for-hire permit holders to cooperate with implementation of the ETA System, including those with dispatch service permits and color scheme permits.
FTi’s system will collect GPS and other data from dispatch service permit holders and make them available to any mobile phone application developer who enters into a use agreement with the SFMTA. The terms of the use agreement have not been finalized.
SFMTA manages transportation in the city, including taxi regulations. “Taxis are a vital part of San Francisco’s transportation system,” said Tom Nolan, Chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “This is another investment in the future of transportation in our city. Improving existing service will not only enrich our current customers’ experience, but also help further our commitment to San Francisco’s Transit First policy by attracting additional taxi customers.”
CLO Inside Track: This taxi management system is a great illustration of how applications of cloud technology are only limited by imagination and innovation. “Innovation is a key component to our overall efforts to improve San Francisco taxi service,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “By putting real-time information in the hands of the public we will improve the taxi experience for our customers, while ensuring that the industry can grow with advancing technology.” With this system, the city hopes to be able not only to provide service when and where it is most needed, but it can react to safety or regulatory issues in real time. It also is a good example of how cloud can leverage the value of mobility and location-based devices to create broader solutions.
(For more information contact Frias Transportation Infrastructure at http://transportationinfrastructure.com/)
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