Cab Dispatch Chaos!

[CyberGoth1440]

Just thought I'd share this as it relates to two-way radio, or the lack of it. I called for a cab, said they were on their way. Hour later I called back, they had misspelled my street name, dispatch tried to enter it correctly into their database, I't isn't in there. OK, after being transferred around for about 30min someone finally pulled it up on a MapTech database. Why they didn't just use Google Maps I don't know. Anyway, it seems that Birmingham Yellow Cab can't dispatch a cab unless the address is in their database, they can't send it to the terminal in the cab. Also, they apparently have no way of talking to their drivers other than those "terminals" because I had told dispatch to call me when they got close & I would flag them down since the power was out and this address is hard to find even in daylight but I was told that their system wouldn't let them send a text to their driver. That's right, can't just pick up a Radio & talk to em! I would have thought they would have had a Radio, NEXTEL or something but noooo.

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Doesn't say anything about two-way radio or Nextel



All of our vehicles are equipped with 'State of the Art' data terminals that
are monitored and controlled continuously by our computer dispatch
system and our highly trained dispatching staff.
Your safety is our number one priority.
http://www.birminghamyellowcab.com/services.html


About Yellow Cab:

Our Moto : "Service Through Excellence"

* Our professional and experienced drivers will provide prompt, efficient and
safe service to you, our customer.
* We always 'go the extra mile' for you here at Yellow Cab.
"Service Through Excellence" is more than a motto, it is our mission and
our commitment to you, our customer.
* We are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
* We believe that your safe and timely transportation is our only priority
* We appreciate your confidence in us and for allowing us to serve you
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
http://www.birminghamyellowcab.com/aboutus.html

:roll:

 

[CyberGoth1440]

Check out the New York Taxi Rider's Bill of Rights.
http://gonyc.about.com/a/taxi.htm
Guess "Radio Free" is the norm now. It's gotta work better up there than it did here last night!

 

[bob-the-scanner-man]

Wow, I thought they still had radios in the cars. Guess that's why I've never heard a peep from their freqs other than digital/data noise which I assume is their "terminals".

 

[CyberGoth1440]

There was a VHF antenna on the cab, not sure what it's used for. There was a POS terminal in the back where you can swipe your credit/debit card, guess that's linked through the terminals too, whatever frequency they use.

 

[kruser]

The St. Louis County cab here in Missouri has been using data terminal based dispatch for years now. They use some product out of Canada called Cabmate.
This system has two 450 MHz high power base transmitters that send the data. The towers are seperate I guess for better coverage. I don't know how the radio choses which channel to use but my guess is simple signal strength.

Anyway, dispatch can enter custom text in to the cabs display as I've given them special instructions before and the driver was aware of them.
The cabs all have a microphone still as well. I monitored their voice channel for a few hours one day and never heard a peep other than a guy that sat on his mic by accident.

I have not had the luxury (thank god!) of riding in one of these cabs for years now but several of my employee's use them and I get packages delivered by them - I look in to see if things have changed but it is always the same old setup with display and mic.

I know they also relied upon some database that was tied to the phone number you were calling from. If you used a cell phone, they could not dispatch until you came up with a true landline phone number!
They fixed that issue pretty fast from what I recall. They also had issues with streets not being in the database or spelled worng. They could not dispatch those either but now they can as they just send a text based message with the info to the cars terminals.

 

[captaincab]

depending on the system there may not even be a two way radio connected to the pos credit card machine i have family in the cab business and here in philadelphia pa we use verifone which transmits data via satellite and gps no two way radio signal at all.

 

[reedeb]

In the past many areas [mostly cities] had many cab companies. Some companies would monitor the voice radios of the competitor and would jump a cab call beating each other to a fare. So they started first by phone and now many go by computer dispatch [also with supposed easy to read street maps]

 

[Thayne]

In the past many areas [mostly cities] had many cab companies. Some companies would monitor the voice radios of the competitor and would jump a cab call beating each other to a fare. So they started first by phone and now many go by computer dispatch [also with supposed easy to read street maps]

For years cab companies have not allowed their drivers to hear both sides of other conversations and some state laws also basically back that up. The new systems are so efficient at allocating taxis and equalizing driver pay and also tracking locations and taking CC payments, and even getting emergency help for drivers that talking on the radio will never be back.
Only downsides is when the system goes down or there is a dispatcher that hates one of the drivers and shortchanges his trips--but the system has all that data so it is possible to catch stuff like that going on.

Cab companies are now basically just rent-a-jalopy places that rip off their drivers as much as possible, especially in this economy. It definitely props up the Crown Vic parts prices

 

[captaincab]

For years cab companies have not allowed their drivers to hear both sides of other conversations and some state laws also basically back that up. The new systems are so efficient at allocating taxis and equalizing driver pay and also tracking locations and taking CC payments, and even getting emergency help for drivers that talking on the radio will never be back.
Only downsides is when the system goes down or there is a dispatcher that hates one of the drivers and shortchanges his trips--but the system has all that data so it is possible to catch stuff like that going on.

Cab companies are now basically just rent-a-jalopy places that rip off their drivers as much as possible, especially in this economy. It definitely props up the Crown Vic parts prices

i agree with allmost all of that however most systems do not allow drivers to get emergency help at least the one in philly don't cause the buttons do not work i know of 3 drivers who used the emergency button and it did not work lucky for them their cab companies still had tow way radios and they were able to get some real help

 

[W2NJS]

I'm thinking of the "old days" when the key to a taxi operation was that all the drivers simply knew where all the streets were located. Modern science has obviously made such a simple approach to the question obsolete. What a country!

 

[CyberGoth1440]

The emergency buttons work on some of the cabs here cause I've heard Police be dispatched to check on drivers. Usually turns out to be accidental. As for cabs not talking to each other that's what the 152 / 157MHz semi-duplex setup was for if I understand correctly. Oh well, that's life in the 21st century I guess.

 

[reedeb]

For years cab companies have not allowed their drivers to hear both sides of other conversations and some state laws also basically back that up. The new systems are so efficient at allocating taxis and equalizing driver pay and also tracking locations and taking CC payments, and even getting emergency help for drivers that talking on the radio will never be back.
Only downsides is when the system goes down or there is a dispatcher that hates one of the drivers and shortchanges his trips--but the system has all that data so it is possible to catch stuff like that going on.

Cab companies are now basically just rent-a-jalopy places that rip off their drivers as much as possible, especially in this economy. It definitely props up the Crown Vic parts prices

In some parts of where i used to work we had a Taxi war one company would be jumping calls. They would sit there and monitor the cab co around here a call and sent THEIR cabs to sreal the fare. It wasn't till they got cell phones and used them that it finally died out. [the jumper co. went out of business] I used to run a single scanner with Base and Cab freqs and monitor them all.

 

[CyberGoth1440]

Yeah the semi-duplex thing was just to keep the drivers from talking to one another I think. Cab wars, reminds me of a classic A-Team episode lol.

 

[SCPD]

I'm thinking of the "old days" when the key to a taxi operation was that all the drivers simply knew where all the streets were located. Modern science has obviously made such a simple approach to the question obsolete. What a country!

I am with you about the old days and I say if its not broke don't fix it,I love my radios and will use them as long as I can.