Beck Taxi, Toronto Cab Company, Aims To Be Like Uber ‘But More Legal'

[IdleMonitor]

With the arrival of Uber and other ride-sharing services, the radio-based dispatch system used by cab companies is beginning to look outdated and inefficient.

Beck is planning to digitize its dispatch system, providing tablets to all 1,850 of its taxis that will allow dispatchers to deploy cabs more efficiently and create a more responsive network of drivers, Torontoist reports.

Beck Taxi, Toronto Cab Company, Aims To Be Like Uber

 

[mike_art03a]

To be honest, I'm surprised... Ottawa Taxis have been using a digital dispatch system for years (although radio based) and one company in Gatineau (Bob Taxi), has been using a totally IP based system for 3 years using Rogers LTE data sticks.

 

[mciupa]

That's a relief! They splash their signals everywhere. If you use a crapola scanner, they will sink you.

 

[slicerwizard]

To be honest, I'm surprised... Ottawa Taxis have been using a digital dispatch system for years (although radio based) and one company in Gatineau (Bob Taxi), has been using a totally IP based system for 3 years using Rogers LTE data sticks.

Yep. When I saw Toronto media regurgitate Beck's gushing press release, my first thought was that this stuff has been available for years, like since at least a decade ago, although it was cruder then. I guess taxi users have Uber, Lyft, et al to thank for dragging the old guard into the 21st century.

 

[mike_art03a]

Heh, yeah... now if we can get them to clean up and use decent cars instead of old rust bucket Impalas, even better!

 

[exkalibur]

Naw, they're actually not that bad. Toronto changed the bylaws for cabs a number of years ago. Most of the fleet are actually pretty decent now. No more used ex-police cars or any junk like that.

 

[mike_art03a]

Perhaps in Toronto, but I'm seeing previous gen Impalas, Hyundai Sonatas, Ford 500s + Tauruses still running around. I'm talking 2005-2009 models that are rusting...